Il de-restauro dei monumenti antichi: scelte e riflessioni. Il caso della Palestra del Ginnasio Occidentale di Kos

This paper discusses about the sustainability of the archeological de-restoration, considering it a possible or a necessary choice to preserve ancient monuments. Our study is part of a more general research, directed by Giorgio Rocco and Monica Livadiotti, Professors of the Dicar Department of Polytechnic University of Bari. The West Gymnasium in Kos, dating from the II century BC, is one of the largest of the ancient world. It was partially excavated by Luigi Morricone since 1936, during the Italian administration in the Dodecanese (1912-1948). On the occasion of important restorations conducted in the islands in that period, also the porticoes of the Gymnasium was subject to anastylosis, during which four sections of the east porch were lifted up. The will of recreating the image of antiques had been regulated by standards that were made official during the Athens Conference in 1931. This anastylosis followed those standards, using a lot of reinforced concrete integrations, usual at the time. Today, after nearly eighty years, we can see the consequences of that anastylosis: a progressive deterioration both of the original parts and integrations. The restoration project is based on the recent guidelines arisen from the thirty-year experience of the archeological site of the Acropolis of Athens and from the Dicar’s specific skills in historical and architectural fields, but also in technological innovation, such as the use of compatible materials (nickel-titanium alloys and carbon fiber). The project aims to evaluate the sustainability of planned operations. In particular, since it is considered necessary to remove the Italian intervention of the ‘30s in order to restore the original static system, the evaluation of sustainability can start from the de-restoration of the Gymnasium already carried out. Therefore, in the light of the above-said and considering some information obtained by theoretical and practical experience of the research group of Polytechnic University of Bari, we propose a preliminary evaluation of the economic sustainability of the restoration, analyzing for example one of the four sections of the east porch of the monument.