A Postscript on Preservation and Transformation in urban planning and architecture In a recent essay on the redevelopment of central Pforzheim and the impending demolition of two buildings from the postwar period (cfr. Was bleibt von der Stadt des Wiederaufbaus? In: Pforzheimer Zeitung, 08-15-2026, p. 22), I wrote a sentence that was meant almost as …
Rethinking the Phoenicians in Sardinia: Between Local Agency and Mediterranean Networks
A Question ReopenedDid the Phoenicians really colonize Sardinia? For generations the answer seemed obvious: ancient sources spoke of colonies, modern textbooks repeated the story, and archaeology was read through the lens of conquest. Yet the ground tells a subtler tale. Recent scholarship invites us to rethink not only what the Phoenicians did, but also what …
Authenticity and Integrity in Built Heritage Preservation: How the Notre-Dame de Paris Restoration Contradicts Viollet-le-Duc’s Vision
The decision to rebuild the Notre-Dame spire and roof in a way that incorporated modern methods and materials while maintaining the overall historical design certainly sparked a lot of debate about the approach to heritage restoration, but finally it undermined the original philosophy of Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814-79), who built the roof and spire that …
Luigi Monzo 