The cemetery, the sacred space dedicated to memory within whose boundaries the architecture expresses its ancient role as a mediator between the realms of the human and the sacred through the grave: one of the oldest architectural expressions symbolizing the moral values foundational to every civilization and physical manifestation of the most primitive human emotions. Nowadays, these spaces, beyond their natural commemorative vocation, exhibit potentials that allow them to be rediscovered through a dual function: that of significant tourist attractions, supported by their intrinsic artistic, historical, and cultural value, and that of places intended for the well-being of citizens. Moving away from the idea of a sacred enclosure, detached from the urban context and enclosed within its walls, the cemetery space can profitably integrate into the urban landscape, enriching it through the dialogue between nature and artifice. This is the case of the Glasgow Necropolis, an insufficiently explored example, one of the first British "sanitary" cemeteries that, in a slow return to its origins, after having served religious functions for about a century, saw the hill on which it is located return to its primitive role as a city park, becoming an integral part of the city's daily life. This paper aims to investigate the project of the necropolis and the historical context in which it is placed, that of the first half of the 19th century – characterized by the issuance of the Edict of Saint Cloud and the consequent creation of modern cemetery facilities throughout all Europe –, through the analysis of iconographic, legal, literary, and travel sources, including unpublished ones, highlighting the critical issues that originated its need and the evolutionary dynamics of the relationship between it and the urban pattern. Attention will also be paid to the interactions between the inside and the outside, the relationship with the city's expansion, the relationship between the natural element and design necessities and the ability to connect material and immaterial elements. These factors have determined both its landscape value and its identity value as an expression of collective memory.
Back to its Origins: The Glasgow Necropolis’ Experience
Luca Pasquale Marseglia
2024
Abstract
The cemetery, the sacred space dedicated to memory within whose boundaries the architecture expresses its ancient role as a mediator between the realms of the human and the sacred through the grave: one of the oldest architectural expressions symbolizing the moral values foundational to every civilization and physical manifestation of the most primitive human emotions. Nowadays, these spaces, beyond their natural commemorative vocation, exhibit potentials that allow them to be rediscovered through a dual function: that of significant tourist attractions, supported by their intrinsic artistic, historical, and cultural value, and that of places intended for the well-being of citizens. Moving away from the idea of a sacred enclosure, detached from the urban context and enclosed within its walls, the cemetery space can profitably integrate into the urban landscape, enriching it through the dialogue between nature and artifice. This is the case of the Glasgow Necropolis, an insufficiently explored example, one of the first British "sanitary" cemeteries that, in a slow return to its origins, after having served religious functions for about a century, saw the hill on which it is located return to its primitive role as a city park, becoming an integral part of the city's daily life. This paper aims to investigate the project of the necropolis and the historical context in which it is placed, that of the first half of the 19th century – characterized by the issuance of the Edict of Saint Cloud and the consequent creation of modern cemetery facilities throughout all Europe –, through the analysis of iconographic, legal, literary, and travel sources, including unpublished ones, highlighting the critical issues that originated its need and the evolutionary dynamics of the relationship between it and the urban pattern. Attention will also be paid to the interactions between the inside and the outside, the relationship with the city's expansion, the relationship between the natural element and design necessities and the ability to connect material and immaterial elements. These factors have determined both its landscape value and its identity value as an expression of collective memory.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
