(Ri)plasmare l’”Old Scotland”. L’uso degli spolia ad Abbotsford House

The use of spolia in architecture is a very ancient and assorted phenomenon. In early 19th century Britain, though, it often manifested the typical antiquarian taste that made Abbotsford House an emblematic case in reconciling romantic, historical, artistic and literary expressions in the field of architecture. Walter Scott's residence, in fact, represents a turning point in Scottish culture both in the definition of a national style - the Scotch Baronial - and in the use, in the construction as in the decoration of its interiors, of spolia from several sites in the Country. The house thus intentionally became an all Scottish private museum that manifests a precise will: to replicate the formal character of the Nation's significant monuments and, at the same time, to integrate original fragments – frequently obtained from demolitions - that would attribute a value of nostalgic historicity to the building, making it a treasure chest aligned with the personality of the author.