The decision to shelter archaeological sites Three case-studies from Sicily

Abstract

The decision to provide a protective shelter for exposed archaeological remains is illustrated by examining case studies of three sites in Sicily that were provided with protective measures in the 1950s. The three protective shelters were designed by the same architect, Franco Minissi, for the sites of Gela, the Villa Romana del Casale (Piazza Armerina) and Heraclea Minoa. His work on protective shelters is viewed in the broader context of the development at that time in Italy of Cesare Brandi's theory of restoration and of Minissi's own philosophy of 'musealizzazione' for the protection of historic sites and their integration into contemporary society.