Pierre armée e problemi conservativi. Sull’uso del ferro nell’architettura dell’Ottocento francese tra ambizioni tecniche e questioni di ‘ordonnance’

Bianca Gioia Marino

DiARC_Dipartimento di Architettura Università di Napoli Federico II, via Toledo 402 80134 Napoli, bianca.marino@unina.it

ABSTRACT

At the end of the Eighteenth century, the Jacques-Germain Soufflot’s Panthéon in Paris represents a real scene of great debate among architects and engineer about the use of the metallic element in architecture, particularly referring the combination of the iron with masonry and as structural component. The points of view has been different on the use of metallic material: on one hand Alavoine stated that “les artistes du Moyen-Age auraient accordé la préferénce à la fonte de fer sur la pierre”; on the other hand, in disagreement, Viollet-le-Duc described the Le Mans Cathedral’s flèche as a «pyramide de ferraille».

The contribute aims to highlight the connections between technical and artistic issue analyzing the debate occurred in the Nineteenth century about the use of the iron for architecture, in the field of strengthening and consolidation. The analysis of some historical essays in reference to cases will drive us to disciplinary issues as well the problem of the authenticity and the relationship between material and image. This represents a current issue since the restoration intervention that is now being carried out in the Panthéon.

Key-words:

pierre armée, Panthéon, restoration