Project
  Guidoriccio

 

Virtual laboratory of multi-disciplinary co-operation aimed at the exchange,
  integration and promotion of ideas,
  experiences and results within the Cultural Heritage sector.

During the first phase of the recovering of the Rocca of Montemassi, it was immediately evident that the restoration of any artefact goes well beyond a mere architectural intervention, requiring in fact the involvement of different competencies--historians, archaeologists, architects sociologists, economists, landscape specialists, and communications experts-- who together can develop an integrated approach.
  The aim of this project is to achieve an exchange of ideas and multi-disciplinary confrontation in real time among experts from all of Europe. This exchange will lead to the development of a methodology for intervention specifically connected to the recovery and reuse of historic buildings and the environmental context in which they are located.
  With the beginning of the second phase of archaeological excavations in the Montemassi Castle, the Municipality of Roccastrada intends to promote different initiatives aimed at:
  - creating opportunity for scientific co-operation for the exchange of ideas, a multi-disciplinary approach and analysis;
  - promoting within both professional and non professional circles, a general awareness of the significance and the value of preservation of Cultural heritage, also on a social and economic level;
  - applying and using modern network communication technology to the work carried out on the XIV century artefact.
  The Rocca of Montemassi is known throughout the world as it appears in the fresco attributed to Simone Martini, which is kept in the Sala del Mappamondo (the Hall of Maps) in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. In the fresco Guidoriccio da Fogliano is at the head of the Sienese troops, and is besieging the Rocca di Montemassi on one of the military campaigns of the Tuscan city.
  This work of art is famous not only for its beauty but particularly because it marks a significant change in Italian art history: it is in fact the first fresco to show the landscape in a realistic setting. The site therefore assumes even more importance, on account of:
  - its historic-architectural value;
  - its surrounding landscape, which is so clearly depicted in the fresco;
  - its symbolic value as an example of communication in the XIV century.
  The project takes its name from Guidoriccio, the knight who is the central figure in the fresco, to symbolise the multi-disciplinary character of the initiative, that archaeologists, architects, art historians, communications and new technologies experts are currently working on.
  The Rocca of Montemassi is worthy of study. It originated from the process of settling by the inhabitants from the lower lands in the early Middle Ages. Then the object to be conquered during the Sienese military campaigns, it later became first a farming centre, and then the abode for miners working in the nearby mines. Following the tragic explosion in 1954 the mining activity ceased, leading to a gradual but heavy exodus from the Rocca.
  As a result of the parcelling of land close to the hamlet and the ensuing protest in 1996, the Ministry for the Cultural Heritage decided to intervene to safeguard the Rocca and its surroundings, by setting constraints to protect the landscape and a scenery which has become part of the international cultural heritage thanks to the fresco.
  As well as legislation to preserve the site, the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and the Municipality of Roccastrada -- where the Rocca is situated -- have set up a programme aimed at returning a precious artefact to the international community, thereby stimulating the economic recovery of an area which would otherwise have been abandoned. Actions foreseen are as follows:
  a) preservation and exploitation of the cultural site through: - assessment of the static conditions, archaeological and historic study of the site;
  - consolidation and implementation of safety features ;
  b) reclaim and determined reuse of the site by creating exhibition and conference areas, educational paths, which could include the reproduction of methods of work, the stages of the construction of Castle, situations in daily life, the reconstruction of weapons and military armaments used in sieges (as portrayed in the fresco).
  c) development of activities and services by:
  - re-defining the access routes;
  - setting up facilities (car parks and refreshments);
  - renovation of depressed areas of the hamlet;
  - organisation of the landscape.
  In order to achieve these objectives, in agreement with its national and international partners, the Municipality of Roccastrada intends to:
  - Publish a book on the first phase of the excavations.
  - Publish an official internet web site of the project, with a continuous up date on the progress of work and filming of activities during the excavations. A sort of "European Yard" which can facilitate the exchange of experiences and results obtained in real time .
  - Organise a conference with the tentative title "An interdisciplinary approach to the preservation and exploitation of the cultural heritage and the use of multimedia technology in dissemination". The conference will evaluate the multi-disciplinary contributions--historical, artistic, social, and economic--within the restoration of cultural assets and assess the suitability of multimedia technology as a means of obtaining a constant exchange of view between professionals, to achieve a extensive and complete divulgation of the European Cultural Heritage.
  - Disseminate results on a European level.
  To carry out these activities, the municipality will contribute by making available goods and services, and allocating part of the funds for the investments on the rocca and the site. The municipality also intends to promote a European project, which will group public and private organisations interested in the project, and in participating and contributing with ideas and expertise. The project will also be presented to the Commission of the European Union within the Action Programme Raphael for a financial contribution.

PROJECT VALUE
  scientific level: study of a methodology for intervention
  technical level: use of advanced communication tools
  symbolic level: from the fresco to Internet, a single object and its image
  through centuries. Progetto Guidoriccio Pagina 2