Architetture militari in Sardegna: uso, riuso, abbandono

FIORINO, DONATELLA RITA

2016-01-01

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Abstract

The strategic location of Sardinian isle in the Mediterranean has determined an extraordinary variety of military architecture typologies as a consequence of the several dominations occurred during time: coastal towers, bastions and fortresses, strongholds, citadels, garrison stations, barracks, former prisons, World War II sites and NATO headquarters. The study is specifically dedicated to one of the Carabinieri military stations, as a specific typology of military architecture, characterized by exceptional widespread dissemination, strategic location and interesting constructive features. The Corps of the Royal Carabinieri was instituted in Turin by the by Royal Warrant of the King of Sardinia, Vittorio Emanuele I, on 13th July 1814. This military Corp had the dual function of firstline national defence and policing using special powers and prerogatives. The Force was given a territorial task and was organized into divisions, one for each province. The divisions were called Companies and they were subdivided into Lieutenancies which commanded and coordinated the local police stations, and were distributed throughout the national territory to maintain direct contact with the public. The buildings planned to host the stations consist of small buildings that are usually located in the historic centres of small municipalities, close to the Town Hall and the church to form a sort of institutional square. They were usually characterized by great stability and simple decorations. Typically, they have a modular plan which was designed by the central government and repeated all over Italy. The research included the preliminary implementation of a database, with geographical references, for the creation of a digital catalogue of the most interesting buildings, also useful for the understanding of their cultural values and for the proposal of their insertion in the list of the national monuments. The study focuses on the possible reuse of these buildings after decommission. The restoration and refurbishment of these historical defense sites could represent a key opportunity for different needs, such as culture, social, education and housing, due to their modularity and easy adaptability in terms of efficient and sustainable transformation. However, some case studies illustrated in the paper, prove that a certain kind of adaptive reuse could irremediably affect the military memory of these places, so that visitors are no more able to understand the defense history of the sites. Undoubtedly, an effective strategy needs the synergic work of a multidisciplinary team of restorers, architects, historians, designers, economists and sociologists in order to set up informed value based conversion programmes.