Il progetto della conoscenza per la conservazione e il restauro del castello aragonese di Piazza Armerina

The castle of Piazza Armerina in Sicily is a historic landmark that dates to the second half of the 14th century. It was erected by King Martin I, likely on a preexisting Franciscan monastery. The history of the manor is incomplete, particularly until it was converted into a prison in the early 19th century. This function, which lasted until the 60s of the 20th century, involved several changes in its original layout. Further abandonment has led to a gradual decline and to important instability phenomena. The purchase by private individuals in 2017 renewed interest in the monument and launched a new phase of study aimed at its conservation and enhancement. The methodological path carried out made it possible to analytically illustrate the state of conservation of the structure. The new cognitive framework also allowed to identify elements that were useful for the formulation of re-configurative hypotheses. In 2019, the owner of the property made the decision to undertake the restoration of the exterior walls. The intervention – which partially enjoyed the tax benefits deriving from the Façade Bonus established by the 2020 Italian Budget Law – has not yet been completed and is suspended pending the recovery of the sums necessary for the continuation of the works. However, the opportunity offered by this program was certainly advantageous, making it possible to start an unavoidable conservation activity. This tax measure, which draws inspiration from the French Malraux law (1962) has favoured the recovery of several historical buildings in Italy, but the timing imposed by the financing and the difficulties aroused for the sale of tax credits, have created a series of setbacks and dangers for the correct carrying out of the activities on which this paper focuses.