FROM EUROPE TO BRAZIL: APPLYING THE CONCEPTS OF THE VENICE CHARTER

Liliane Janine Nizzola

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Complete Paper

Summary

Paper Title

FROM EUROPE TO BRAZIL: APPLYING THE CONCEPTS OF THE VENICE CHARTER

Authors

Liliane Janine Nizzola

Modality

Abstract

Subject area

1. Historical Context and Heritage Concepts - An exploration of the historical context and conceptual foundations that shaped the Venice Charter, emphasizing its Eurocentric origins and the need for a critical rereading.

Publishing Date

11/04/2025

Country of Publishing

Brazil | Brasil

Language of Publishing

Inglês

Paper Page

https://www.even3.com.br/anais/icomos-scientific-symposium-2024-439820/871366-from-europe-to-brazil--applying-the-concepts-of-the-venice-charter

ISBN

978-65-272-1284-3

Keywords

Venice Charter, heritage conservation, urban heritage.

Summary

The 1964 Venice Charter broke new ground by broadening preservationist concepts. It was built from what had already been set out in the 1931 Athens Charter and the 1932 Italian Restoration Charter. It introduced the idea of preserving and conserving modest works and urban and rural sites. The historical backdrop raised critical awareness not only about the need to protect and conserve the heritage of cities but also about how to do it, given the devastating results of the two world wars and the consequent rampant destruction of the assets that left entire cities, or large portions of them, in ruins. One of the main goals of the Charter was to restrain indiscriminate practices of repristinations and reconstructions of goods. The article discusses some characteristics of the Venice Charter. This avant-garde document revolutionised heritage conservation and restoration and has established itself as a benchmark in the conservation of goods. Its recommendations were based on European legacy and the theoretical discussions that guided that time, especially Brandi's theories, which emphasised preserving the properties' aesthetic and historic values. Moreover, applying the Charter's principles in Brazil could be challenging, especially regarding urban sites, where applying artistic and historical conservation criteria only could not fit. The Brazilian urban heritage is formed mainly by minor architecture, in a sense defined by Giovannoni. It is not the monumentality or the artistic appeal of its main characteristics, but rather its historical values and as a characterising document of the various eras the city has passed. But this can also represent a more fragmented heritage, with sparse assets inserted amid greatly altered ones or new urban insertions devoid of patrimonial value. In this context, following the existing tendency in the heritage field to base its approach basically on a conservative vision of restoration, where Western concepts of material and aesthetic preservation prevail, and on a rigid interpretation of the principles set out in the Charter, is not the most appropriate answer. The city of Antônio Prado, in Rio Grande do Sul, is an example of a heritage site where the pure and simple application of these criteria could not work well. Therefore, critically analysing some of the Charter's postulates in a practical example is essential to interpret better and apply its guidelines, relating the reading to the reality of the time and adapting it to the local situation, something addressed in this study.

Title of the Event: ICOMOS SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM 2024
City of the Event: Ouro Preto
Title of the Proceedings of the event: ICOMOS 2024 Scientific Symposium Proceedings
Name of the Publisher: Even3
Means of Dissemination: Meio Digital

How to cite

NIZZOLA, Liliane Janine. FROM EUROPE TO BRAZIL: APPLYING THE CONCEPTS OF THE VENICE CHARTER.. In: ICOMOS 2024 Scientific Symposium Proceedings. Anais...Ouro Preto(MG) Convention Center / UFOP/ UFMG Campus, 2024. Available in: https//www.even3.com.br/anais/icomos-scientific-symposium-2024-439820/871366-FROM-EUROPE-TO-BRAZIL--APPLYING-THE-CONCEPTS-OF-THE-VENICE-CHARTER. Access in: 13/07/2025