Knowledge as a tool for managing transformations of cultural heritage. The monumental staircase of Santa Maria del Monte in Caltagirone (Sicily)

The paper focuses on a study carried out by a multidisciplinary team from the University of Catania for the restoration of the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte in the historic heart of Caltagirone, a UNESCO heritage site. The staircase, which nowadays represents the iconic image of the town’s ancient ceramic tradition, derives its ‘monumentality’ primarily from its size (142 steps, about 130m in length, and 50m in height) and then from the relationship with the surrounding historic buildings, the landscape and the town that lies at its base. Built at the beginning of the 17th century and radically renovated in the mid-19th century, it owes its current single-flight configuration (indifferent to the entrances of the buildings and the surrounding road system) to a general renovation realised in the 1950s. On that occasion, the risers were decorated with majolica tiles, though using industrially made elements instead of handicraft products, some of which were replaced in the 1990s with new ones on lava support. Nowadays, the staircase suffers from general deterioration and differential subsidence. Previous studies had the primary objective of filling knowledge gaps and identifying the main construction problems; they also helped to consider the effects of the UNESCO brand on tourist promotion of the staircase and to better understand its significance and reception as a cultural object, which rests more on its iconic image than authenticity or architectural quality. The staircase has undergone considerable changes and proper conservation can hardly preserve it ‘as found’ and should encompass the sensitive management of transformations. Therefore, the restoration design did not consider it a static inheritance. Regular maintenance would replace the gradually disappearing decoration and support traditional ceramic manufacture. Guidelines for improved fruition and accessibility to and from neighbouring buildings were also provided. Finally, a pilot project would test methodologies and procedures, assessing results in preparation for a full-scale intervention. A concluding note emphasizes the importance of knowledge in restoration work for recognizing architectural value and identifying deficiencies. In this sense, knowledge is also essential to reconcile the preservation of urban heritage and the need to define the limits of acceptable and appropriate changes.