In the broader context of documentary research that has shed light on the settlement dynamics of the birth of Leonforte in the modern age (1610), as discussed in some recent works (Gallotta, Vitale 2025; Carocci, Gallotta, Vitale, in press), 17th- and 18th-century archival documents have emerged containing valuable evidence of the intrinsic vulnerabilities of the sloping urban fabric, determined by the peculiar orographic conditions of the site where the “new city” of Leonforte stands, and of “added” vulnerabilities, deriving, in this case, from the transformations of the territory carried out by the founder Nicolò Placido Branciforti. Despite the fertility of the soil, the abundance of water and «the regularity that the nature of the site allowed» (Mazzola 1924), which scholars and commentators have lauded and which is symbolically depicted in modern cartography (for example, in Samuel von Schmettau’s famous map of Sicily, 1720-1721), the area where Leonforte was built was far from favourable and thus subject to serious hydrogeological risks. Several disastrous events, repeatedly documented in correspondence along with attempts to remedy their effects on buildings and the surrounding area (1665, 1707, 1724, 1740, 1798, 1809), hitherto overlooked by scholars, highlight the contribution of archival research in identifying the “endogenous” fragility of historic buildings. This research has the potential to fill significant knowledge gaps in designing proposals aimed at the restoration and conservation of buildings. In accordance with the most up-to-date disciplinary trends, the application of historical analysis is not limited to the mere recovery of anecdotal accounts of past calamities, but it offers a framework for comprehending and interpreting the risks to which heritage is vulnerable in order to facilitate enhanced operational effectiveness or just fosters awareness among local communities engaged in the processes of care and enhancement.
La vulnerabilità del costruito storico nelle fonti documentarie: frane e alluvioni tra XVII e XIX secolo
emanuele gallotta
2025-01-01
Abstract
In the broader context of documentary research that has shed light on the settlement dynamics of the birth of Leonforte in the modern age (1610), as discussed in some recent works (Gallotta, Vitale 2025; Carocci, Gallotta, Vitale, in press), 17th- and 18th-century archival documents have emerged containing valuable evidence of the intrinsic vulnerabilities of the sloping urban fabric, determined by the peculiar orographic conditions of the site where the “new city” of Leonforte stands, and of “added” vulnerabilities, deriving, in this case, from the transformations of the territory carried out by the founder Nicolò Placido Branciforti. Despite the fertility of the soil, the abundance of water and «the regularity that the nature of the site allowed» (Mazzola 1924), which scholars and commentators have lauded and which is symbolically depicted in modern cartography (for example, in Samuel von Schmettau’s famous map of Sicily, 1720-1721), the area where Leonforte was built was far from favourable and thus subject to serious hydrogeological risks. Several disastrous events, repeatedly documented in correspondence along with attempts to remedy their effects on buildings and the surrounding area (1665, 1707, 1724, 1740, 1798, 1809), hitherto overlooked by scholars, highlight the contribution of archival research in identifying the “endogenous” fragility of historic buildings. This research has the potential to fill significant knowledge gaps in designing proposals aimed at the restoration and conservation of buildings. In accordance with the most up-to-date disciplinary trends, the application of historical analysis is not limited to the mere recovery of anecdotal accounts of past calamities, but it offers a framework for comprehending and interpreting the risks to which heritage is vulnerable in order to facilitate enhanced operational effectiveness or just fosters awareness among local communities engaged in the processes of care and enhancement.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
