LA MANUTENZIONE PROGRAMMATA AD ERCOLANO; OBIETTIVI E COMPLESSITA’ DI UNA MACCHINA DI CURA CONTINUA E SOSTENIBILE

Annunziata Laino1, Alessandro Massari2, Paola Pesaresi3

1 Herculaneum Conservation Project, Ercolano, n.laino@herculaneum.org

2 Herculaneum Conservation Project, Ercolano, massari.ales@tiscali.it

3 Herculaneum Conservation Project, Ercolano, p.pesaresi@herculaneum.org

ABSTRACT

Introduces the programmed maintenance cycles being developed at the archaeological site of Herculaneum by the Herculaneum Conservation Project (HCP), a public-private partnership for the conservation and enhancement of this ancient Roman town. In the years following excavation, the site was cared for by a team of specialist workers but the practice of regular maintenance come to a gradual halt during the late 20th century. The interdisciplinary HCP team has planned maintenance for decorative features, structures and infrastructures in the hope that this programme can be handed over to the heritage authority for future cycles of interventions. New models of continuous care are key to increasing the ‘manageability‘ of the site long into the future with limited human and financial resources of the public heritage authority. It is by securing the site’s sustainability at this most basic level that will also provide the conditions for this World Heritage property to contribute more effectively to broader sustainability issues. If day-to-day management choices for routine care lose sight of the site’s role in social and economic development of the local community, when funds dry up there will be no one to express concern or step in with alternative forms of support, and the mistakes of the 20th century will be repeated.

Parole chiave/Key-words: maintenance, archaeological site, conservation, Herculaneum