A vitalidade implicita na Ruina. A propósito do Mausoleu de Augusto.

Abstract

The ruins of the Mausoleum of Augustus can be seen as an emblematic case of the continuous mutation shown by the historical city, particularly of Rome, maximum exponent of its stratification and architectural renovation. From all the ancient monuments of the city, that have been reused in time, the Mausoleum, stands as the one whose functional and formal mutations have been more in number and in exuberance: from its origins as an imperial tomb, it was transformed into a medieval castle, belonging to the Colonna family; it was then a quarry and a secret renascence garden, later it became a magnificent amphitheatre in the nineteenth century, starting as a host to violent shows of bull fighting, then transformed into an elegant auditorium for classical music, example of the Italian art nouveau. This was its path, until a series of demolitions transformed it into a true archaeological ruin. The follwing study is dedicated to understanding the Mausoleum mutation and its motivation, longing to prove the ability, within any architectonical space, to adapt and transform, out of its primary function or of its patrimonial value. The text is organized sequentially in time. We start chronologically with the building construction, until we reach its future expectations for further transformations. In parallel, we expose some of the theories of restoration that throught history have changed the way we face our past monuments, in order to contextualise our study case. After being recognized the ability of the building to mutate, proved by its numerous transformations, its present form is questioned, stressing the relationship between the building maintenance and its daily use, considered the most important topic to be discussed in order to comprehend the role played by our architectonical inherence in modern society.