Architecture and War

The Importance of Rebuilding the Lost Identity

by Ettore Maria Mazzola

Wars have always left signs so deep that nothing and no-one can help people
forget.
Since ancient times, warlords have used men (if it is right to call them “men”)
ready to use violence on people and things, in order to create an everlasting mem
ory of their passage through offense and terror.Both ancient and recent history
are full of reports about razed-to-the-ground cities, raped and killed women and
girls, slaughtered children and elders, in the name of victory: reports which can
even show us severed and impaled heads, aiming at warning anyone from any
possible resistance
​​ or revenge. I do not mean only the last-minute ISIS actions,
but also the less recent ones by "most Christian" armies, which used right the
same violence we are condemning today.
Just to name a few and not so old, we could remember the infamous violence by
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the Piedmonteses on Southern Italian people (not for their own interests, but also
for the British and French ones). A kind of violence, which was never condemned,
in fact they created a shameful museum dedicated to Cesare Lombroso’s "studies"
(aiming to demonstrate racist theories even by showcasing severed heads!)
Moreover, what to say of similar violence by French soldiers against Algerian
people? Or those by Anglo-American soldiers, during the recent conflicts in
Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya? Or those by the Israeli illegal settlers against the
Palestinians?
It is time to give up being hypocrite (and racist!) and to get aware of the biggest
mistake we make as we consider a civilized, peaceful West on one hand and an
uncivilized, ignorant and belligerent Middle East on the other hand.
The warlords’ protocol has been still the same since ancient times: creating
turbulences within the Countries (letting the World believe they are riots against
the worst local regime); driving the “tyrants” out, through “peaceful military
interventions” and use of ignoble mercenaries, ready to kill their fellows in the
name of money – not to defend peace or freedom’s ideals at all!
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All this has always brought death and destruction, but above all has aimed
to delete the memory of one’s own place, which usually keeps both the own
Country’s love and people’s pride alive.
As Paolo Marconi (1933 – 2013) wrote in the preface of my book "The Sustainable
City is Possible", talking about WWII: «the trauma regarded above all the way of
conceiving the architectonical object as something connected to its environs (Landscape,
Village, Town) in a linguistic sense, so bound to give people an environment1 where civil
life and development are possible. The eventual traumatic destruction of this environment
could cause serious inconveniences, could produce maniacal-depressive states, able to
de-stabilize the population. The Second World War had aimed to destroy whole cities,
to strike not only the most important industrial centers, but also the largest number of
houses, starting with Warsaw destroyed by Nazi Luftwaffe on September 1st, 1939. This
was followed by the destruction of Coventry, England, to which English Army replied

1 «the surrounding, considered with all or most of its characteristic ... Complex of social, cultural and
moral conditions in which a person lies, grows-up and defines herself ...» from VOCABOLARIO Devoto
Oli, 1987
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bombarding Munich at first, then deciding in 1942 a series of bombardments directed
to Colonia, Hamburg, Kessel, Berlin, Nurnberg, Dresden (this one shelled on February,
13th 1945).
During the same years, Allies bombarded Italy, aiming above all at civil objectives in
order to demoralize the population and to cause insurrections against Regime. Japan
bombardments of Hiroshima and Nagasaki came after, and with them the War ended».
This short (and incomplete) premise, is just to summarize all the reasons and
consequences of the war; it should foremost help to better comprehend the
reasons why it is essential to put cultural ideologies aside when a war is gone, in
favor of the redemption of lost identities.
The wounded people should decide at last, not an ‘ideologically-led’ theorist!
When I was a university student of architecture, I came across a most useful
textbook – still valid today more than ever! – which impressed me: "Theory and
History of Restoration" by Carlo Ceschi.

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Especially in Chapter XII “War Experiences and Problems of Reconstruction” the
author humbly and objectively describes how the horrific war dismantled the
pompous restoration’s theories developed since the 1931 Athens’ Charter on.
Ceschi starts that chapter in this way:
«On 22nd and 23rd October 1942 at night, the war which evolved Italians took a decisive
turn.
During those nights, the blanket air strikes started to hit Genoa and went ahead against
Turin, Milan and the whole Italian territory.
Since then, those people like me, who coped with the devastating action of war against
monument, realized that all the cautious and balanced restoration’s theories (recently
adopted by restorers) were seriously affected.
Meanwhile the problem of preserving old towns and historical monuments was becoming
tragic».

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Still in the same chapter, talking about the inner conflict of the restorer, Ceschi
keeps on explaining the current and yet modern dilemma2:
«The memory of a monument’s destruction has always exceeded even the human lives’
sorrow, due to the eternity expectancy on a monument compared to the natural limited
human lives’ expectancies. [...] Urban planning has now to consider the war factor,
which appeared remarkably important only after town bombing [...] ».
Once again, Ceschi is reminding how important is that “a correct reconstruction
plan keeps far from selfish and vulgar ideological interests, as well as it is essential that
the economical factor (which always leads any urban decision) and the private interest
come after the common interest. Moreover, he claims “we must remember that the
façades of private buildings along the streets and piazzas are public indeed, since the
whole built environment belongs to all citizens”.

2 “Sistemazione urbanistica dei vecchi centri bombardati e restauro dei monumenti danneggiati”
published on the magazine “Genova” in October 1943

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I could keep on quoting this inspiring text, but I think it is enough to convey
how important it is to be respectful of common good and shared beauty, trying
to avoid selfish ideologies and deviated will of restoration’s theorists as much
as possible.
After facing the tragedy of war, any restoration theory fell apart: citizens often
asked their original buildings back, their towns back, despite bitterly criticized
by Cesare Brandi. People wanted their identity back and their sense of belonging
to a place was much bigger than any accusation of historical falsification!
We must be thankful to the bravery and to the intellectual honesty of those who
operated in favor of a wounded identity. They have allowed us to enjoy the views
of great buildings such as Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Serra in Genoa, the Temple of
Augustus in Pula, the Ponte Santa Trinita in Florence, the Loggia della Mercanzia in
Bologna, the Malatesta Temple in Rimini, the Abbey of Montecassino, etc.
Despite the indications of Cesare Brandi’s blind ideology, those intellectuals
succeeded in fixing a tragically disrupted identity.
In the past months (after the “real” liberation of Palmyra from the deranged ISIS
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forces, operated by Russian and Syrian forces) an absurd discussion about the
reconstruction of Palmyra has started: monuments of inestimable value have
been destroyed, according to the abovementioned destabilizing reasons, and
someone is claiming it might not be correct to rebuild them!
As the Director of Antiquities of Syria, supported by the opinion of some Russian
experts, announced the intention to rebuild everything that has been destroyed
within 5 years, (including "pulverized" buildings), from The Guardian’s pages the
art expert Jonathan Jones stated «Palmyra must not be fixed. History would never
forgive us".
Jones argued: «Sometimes ruins are better left as ruins. Just because we have the 3D
printers to undo Isis’s vandalism does not mean we should use them! Palmyra must not
“rise again”, as the director of antiquities of Syria has promised. It must not be turned
into a fake replica of its former glory. Instead, what remains of this ancient city after its
destruction by Isis – and that is mercifully more than many people feared – should be
tactfully, sensitively and honestly preserved.The honesty has to begin with Palmyra’s
newfound fame».
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Jones also said, «The Temple of Bel, the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Temple of
Baalshamin were destroyed and the little that remains should be left as it is [...] If enough
chunks of masonry and sculpture have survived in sufficiently recognizable shape, it
may indeed be possible to re-erect parts of buildings or even entire structures. [...] On
the other hand, it may turn out to be more truthful to display the fragments in a specially
constructed museum.
But they absolutely cannot be reconstructed, because, despite the expectations of the
world. Yet it may be the wrong approach. Restoration is a delicate art, and the responsible
preservation of antiquities has to mean accepting the finality of loss where rebuilding
might be deceitful».
In his anti-reconstruction crusade, Jones criticized the partial reconstruction of
the Palace of Knossos in Crete by British archaeologist Arthur Evans, claiming:
“he created a strange mess in his arrogant over-restoration”.
These words sounded like Cesare Brandi’s ones, as he accused the foolish
rebuilders of Venice’s Campanile («it would have been enough to put a modern tower,
a sort of vertical sign reminding the old bell tower through its presence: better than
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committing this shameful falsification!») or, as he criticized the reconstruction of the
Santa Trinita’s Bridge in Florence, using similar words.
What is it more arrogant anyway?
Is it more arrogant to act in the respect of the whole population (who requests
to have all it has lost back) or the selfish action of theorists, who do it according
to their own way, to confirm their useless theories (sometimes ignoring any
construction practice, as historians)?
Before the modern restoration theories’ advent, reconstructing was considered
“well and good”: if a temple fell into disrepair, they used to repair it “as it was”
or even better, because it was proved to be a vital presence, important for the
community and for a place’s identity – just like it still happens in India and
Japan.
It is crazy to refer to both architecture and urbanism while talking about
“falsification of history”: it was an accusation often aiming at protecting the black
market of antiquities!
Many people get confused when they blame the “leftists” political power for this
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madness, as it is reported in the 1964’s Venice Charter.
In fact, those people ignore that the fascist 1938 law, (named “Instruction for the
monuments’ restoration”) had already claimed:
«For obvious reasons of historical dignity and for necessary clarity in the present artistic
awareness, the construction of buildings in old "styles” is absolutely prohibited, even
in areas without monumental or landscape interest, as so far as they represent a
double falsification, involving both the ancient and recent history of art».
I won’t keep on referring to what I previously wrote about this most delicate
subject: I will underline how essential the reconstruction of Palmyra is! It has
been destroyed by a mercenary band of criminals, so fool to disregard that they
are also undermining Islam, because the rest of the world is growing racist
against the whole Islamic world – not only against the not-at-all representative
Islamic ISIS. Once again, I want to recall the heavy consequences of destroying
human environment, which can cause mental disease and depression, even
defeating an entire population. It is still the importance of the sense of belonging,
which strengthens the individual identity in favor of the common one. That’s
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why it would be insane not to rebuild what has been demolished by ignorance
and arrogance! If we do not rebuild up Palmyra, we would recognize the
warlords’ victory: even if they were defeated at last, we would allow them to
leave an everlasting sign of their passage, which is the cancellation of 2000 years
old monuments – or better, the identity of a Nation!
According to my opinion, it is necessary to act in the memory of the poor “art
martyr” Khaled al-Asad, the 82 years old, father of 11 children, and guardian
of the ancient Palmyra’s complex. He was cowardly tortured for months, than
publicly beheaded in a square and hung on a pillar in front of the museum: he
was “punished” for devoting his whole life to that archaeological site and being
able to let the site enter the UNESCO World Heritage’s List.
This is one of the reasons of my anger and that’s why I claim there’s no point of
considering the indication in the Venice Charter and in the Vienna’s Memorandum!
I would like here to recall and update my memories of a wonderful journey
to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, where my friend and colleague Maxim
Atayants has built a small church and has rebuilt by anastylosis the WWII’s
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Memorial, in the village of Qaraglukh (homeland of his family, located in
Nagorno-Karabakh at 30 kilometers from the Iranian border).
These works have had right the intent to bring life back in that remote, wonderful
and forgotten-by-everyone corner of the World!
The horrific war in Azerbaijan seems so far to us West-Europeans, who did not
experience it in person: yet it was over only in 1994!
The conflict “officially” started in 1992, but earlier violence (in the name of a
deranged racial cleansing) by Turkish dates back to 1915.
Qaraglukh village had been dramatically razed in 1991. Everything was
destroyed with a frightening ferocity, from the WWII’s Memorial to gravestones.
Since then, time seems to stand still. The only signs of life within the village’s
walls are the cows and pigs’ paw-prints near the ruins and the beautiful
Mulberry Trees!Those survivors, who bravely decided to stay in the area, moved
downstream to sad shacks of an agglomeration named Apostles. Still they are
dreaming to go back to Qaraglukh … but it will take time to be able to do it, as
Turkish nightmare is real.While traveling through the Nagorno-Karabakh, the
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devastation’s sight is not limited only to Qaraglukh village. The whole Region
indeed, especially the Southeastern area, is dotted with abandoned ruins ... but
there is something else affecting the traveler, especially if he is an architect. Here
they rebuild what has been lost, and they do it deeply respecting of both building
types and traditional techniques! In particular, when dealing with restoration,
reconstruction or construction of new churches, there is no space for whatever
kind of compositional ideology: architects spontaneously conform themselves
to the shared desire to see back to life those sacred symbols, they do not even
need to discuss about it!
As well as a newborn, just spontaneously, knows what to do to feed himself
from his mother’s breast, here who designs a church knows that he/she must
comply with certain rules, which have not changed since 301, when Tiridates III
proclaimed the Christianism State Religion.
Neither an architect designs a church to celebrate himself, nor any prelate states,
(as "modern Catholics" do), that the image of the Church should "be up-to-date".
Here they only need to restore the unchanged symbols of Christianity, through
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which they can reaffirm people’s sense of belonging overtaking the indifference of
the world on their endured suffering.
All this is for me a great moral lesson on our society, especially on Catholicism
that, due to very questionable image policies, is losing devotees, no more
attracted by odd new churches and sacred works of "art".
Travelling through the Nagorno-Karabakh, on many occasions, as Ptgni, Aruch,
Talin, Hagharstin, etc., I came across ruined churches that show the constant
passage of devotees, who keep going there to pray. They often leave icons and
ex-voto in spaces desecrated for centuries ... no matter if they are in good or bad
conditions, for people these are, and will always remain, churches!
People proudly identify themselves in these symbols.
These are wounds to be healed in the name of a timeless faith, a faith that has
never been victim of consumerism and/or of the "society of the spectacle" (as it
was named by Guy Debord), but true and spontaneous. Thanks to its purity,
this faith does not bore or arouse the suspicions of devotees, who continue to
populate the worshipping places, even those in ruins, as they feel protected and
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close to the Lord.
For this reason those Armenian architects, artisans and masons with whom I
could talk, clearly claimed that in their mind there is no difference whatever
between "restoration" and "realization" of a brand new church.
Both the "heroes" – as I nicknamed them – Marat, Shavarsh, Harut and Zolak,
builders of the church designed by Maxim Atayants in Qaraglukh, and the
Director of Works, Arch. Manushak Valeri – expert in restoration and conservation
– narrated me about the dozens of works carried out over the last twenty years,
without making any distinction between new and old. This is also because those
were mostly works of accurate reconstruction of churches collapsed for some
ancient earthquakes, or because of the early 90’s Turkish violence.
However, it is not only about religious architecture, but also artworks, as the
holy icons are today made in the rigorous compliance of the enlightened early
medieval symbolism: this rigor do not disturb neither the architects nor the
artists or the Armenian prelates!...
Could it be possible that we – "well educated and evolved Westerners" – are wrong?
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 … And why?
That trip has deeply signed me.
Reflecting on the deeper meaning of the reconstructive work of Christian
buildings in Nagorno-Karabakh, it emerges the importance of the psycho-
sociological aspect of the war tragedy and the consequent need for reconstruction
of the symbols of belonging of a people to both a land and God.
Above all, now we know that this little project, implemented by Maxim Atayants,
has achieved his goal! Indeed people are coming back to Qaraglukh, and several
houses are already under construction.
The presence of those symbols able to reawake the sense of identity – the Church
of St. John and the War Memorial – played the role already known in the Middle
Ages as the Chiese Matrice’s role: attracting back to town those people fled to the
countryside and bringing life to the abandoned cities.
This is an important message to all those who claim to have the right to make
an architectural project – or a restoration – dedicated to themselves, instead of
meeting the people's will to have their places back. Either brand-new or rebuilt,
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those places have to be conceived according to those traditional standards that
do not require any "sophisticated explanation" by the alleged expert in architecture!
One of the worst violence that one can do on a population, is to steal its
traditions and its rituals ... this was clearly understood even by Augustus who
was thankfully able to restore the peace in the Roman World.
Why should we force people to change their habits and traditions according to
ours? Why should we not rebuild a monument, only because at the eyes of an
expert it would look a copy and not an original?
War brings destruction but, the non-reconstruction, or the ungrammatical
reconstruction that ignores the character of places, can do many more damages
than bombs: it can deprive people of the chance to redeem their sense of
belonging and their community.
Let us never forget!

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