ABSTRACT

During the Second World War, in the involved States, a huge number of cities and their environment were devastated; the most of damages were caused by bombing raids. Also the city of Genoa and its conspicuous built heritage was seriously damaged. The post-war reconstruction was a great occasion to change the urban layout, above all in some central areas. High-level buildings (in quality and appearance) were carried out too, especially where the situation was deeply prejudiced. Partially damaged buildings, also the monumental ones, were reconstructed by the Civil Engineer Office, above all in case of structural damages. The intervention and the supervision conducted by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage mostly just concerned the artistic appearance and heritage. The paper aims at introducing the case of the Albergo dei Poveri in Genoa: here the intervention carried out by the Civil Engineer Office not only made use of unconventional materials and techniques but also brought about changes in the shape of the building. This way of acting, that nowadays we could regard as heretical may be understood but not necessarily shared if we look at the widespread post-war atmosphere, the contemporary debate about conservation and the modus operandi on listed buildings at that time.

Parole chiave/Key-words: Albergo dei Poveri, Genoa, post-war reconstruction, Civil Engineer Office, Superintendence