The Storia dell’architettura in Italia dal secolo IV al XVIII (History of Architecture in Italy from the Fourth to the Eighteenth Centuries, 1857–1859) by Marquis Amico Ricci remains a point of reference for scholars primarily for its considerable wealth of information, while little attention has been paid to its historiographic outline. This holds true even though it represents the first attempt at a comprehensive synthesis for architecture, following the works of Luigi Lanzi for painting and Leopoldo Cicognara for sculpture. This essay analyzes the book’s method, sources, structure, and contemporary reception in reviews, drawing on a substantial amount of unpublished material held by the Mozzi Borgetti Library in Macerata. Particular attention has been paid to the relationships recorded in letters between Ricci and numerous correspondents, whether historians and scholars, such as Carlo Troya and Fedrico Odorici, or architects, such as Filippo Antolini, Luigi Canina, Antonio Diedo, and especially Giuseppe Segusini, Pietro Estense Selvatico, and Carlo Promis. These resulted in a fruitful exchange of information and critical judgments. The essay investigates some themes of this correspondence that were particularly relevant to the contemporary debate, such as the origin of Gothic architecture, the limits of classicism in its academic version, and the interpretation of Baroque architec¬ture. By interweaving readings of Ricci’s texts – the three volumes of the Storia, as well as articles and unpublished writings – with those of his correspondents, a significant cross-section of the architectural literature of the nineteenth century is provided.
La Storia dell'architettura in Italia di Amico Ricci (1857-1859) un contributo della storiografia romantica tra erudizione e dibattito critico
Lenza C.
2021
Abstract
The Storia dell’architettura in Italia dal secolo IV al XVIII (History of Architecture in Italy from the Fourth to the Eighteenth Centuries, 1857–1859) by Marquis Amico Ricci remains a point of reference for scholars primarily for its considerable wealth of information, while little attention has been paid to its historiographic outline. This holds true even though it represents the first attempt at a comprehensive synthesis for architecture, following the works of Luigi Lanzi for painting and Leopoldo Cicognara for sculpture. This essay analyzes the book’s method, sources, structure, and contemporary reception in reviews, drawing on a substantial amount of unpublished material held by the Mozzi Borgetti Library in Macerata. Particular attention has been paid to the relationships recorded in letters between Ricci and numerous correspondents, whether historians and scholars, such as Carlo Troya and Fedrico Odorici, or architects, such as Filippo Antolini, Luigi Canina, Antonio Diedo, and especially Giuseppe Segusini, Pietro Estense Selvatico, and Carlo Promis. These resulted in a fruitful exchange of information and critical judgments. The essay investigates some themes of this correspondence that were particularly relevant to the contemporary debate, such as the origin of Gothic architecture, the limits of classicism in its academic version, and the interpretation of Baroque architec¬ture. By interweaving readings of Ricci’s texts – the three volumes of the Storia, as well as articles and unpublished writings – with those of his correspondents, a significant cross-section of the architectural literature of the nineteenth century is provided.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
