Gustavo Giovannoni e l’architetto integrale. Atti del convegno internazionale

Abstract

Central protagonist of Italian architectural culture in the first half of the twentieth century, Gustavo Giovannoni (Rome 1873-1947) contributed decisively to the formulation of the so-called integral architect, whose knowledge had to range from protection to urban planning, from the environment to restoration, from building design to history, from teaching to technology. An engineering graduate, Giovannoni played a decisive role in consolidating four distinct but closely related professional sectors: the restoration of monuments, urban legislation, landscape and the history of architecture. The circularity of his interests led him to formulate theories of intervention in historic centers according to the progressive urbanization, identifiable in the various proposals for building thinning and acclimatization. The essays in the volume explore the most important themes of the activities and reflections of the Roman engineer, forming an evocative polyphonic picture within which the reader will find the tools to be able to place Giovannoni in the Italian and European architectural culture of the twentieth century.