[Preamble]
Imbued with a message from the
past, the historic monuments of
generations of people remain to the present day as living
witnesses of their age-old traditions. People are becoming more
and more conscious of the unity of human values and regard
ancient monuments as a common heritage. The common responsibility
to safeguard them for future generations is recognized. It is our
duty to hand them on in the full richness of their
authenticity.
It is essential that the principles guiding the preservation and
restoration of ancient buildings should be agreed and be laid
down on an international basis, with each country being
responsible for applying the plan within the framework of its own
culture and traditions.
By defining these basic principles for the first time, the
Athens Charter of 1931
contributed towards the development of an
extensive international movement which has assumed concrete form
in national documents, in the work of ICOM and UNESCO and in the
establishment by the latter of the International Centre for the
Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural
Property. Increasing awareness and critical study have been
brought to bear on problems which have continually become more
complex and varied; now the time has come to examine the Charter
afresh in order to make a thorough study of the principles
involved and to enlarge its scope in a new document.
Accordingly, the IInd International Congress of Architects and
Technicians of Historic Monuments, which met in Venice from May
25th to 31st 1964, approved the following text:
ARTICLE 1. The concept of an historic monument embraces
not only the single architectural work but also the urban or
rural setting in which is found the evidence of a particular
civilization, a significant development or an historic event.
This applies not only to great works of art but also to more
modest works of the past which have acquired cultural
significance with the passing of time.
ARTICLE 2. The conservation and restoration of monuments
must have recourse to all the sciences and techniques which can
contribute to the study and safeguarding of the architectural
heritage.
ARTICLE 3. The intention in conserving and restoring
monuments is to safeguard them no less as works of art than as
historical evidence.
ARTICLE 4. It is essential to the conservation of
monuments that they be maintained on a permanent basis.
ARTICLE 5. The conservation of monuments is always
facilitated by making use of them for some socially useful
purpose. Such use is therefore desirable but it must not change
the lay-out or decoration of the building. It is within these
limits only that modifications demanded by a change of function
should be envisaged and may be permitted.
ARTICLE 6. The conservation of a monument implies
preserving a setting which is not out of scale. Wherever the
traditional setting exists, it must be kept. No new construction,
demolition or modification which would alter the relations of
mass and color must be allowed.
ARTICLE 7. A monument is inseparable from the history to
which it bears witness and from the setting in which it occurs.
The moving of all or part of a monument cannot be allowed except
where the safeguarding of that monument demands it or where it is
justified by national or international interest of paramount
importance.
ARTICLE 8. Items of sculpture, painting or decoration
which form an integral part of a monument may only be removed
from it if this is the sole means of ensuring their
preservation.
ARTICLE 9. The process of restoration is a highly
specialized operation. Its aim is to preserve and reveal the
aesthetic and historic value of the monument and is based on
respect for original material and authentic documents. It must
stop at the point where conjecture begins, and in this case
moreover any extra work which is indispensable must be distinct
from the architectural composition and must bear a contemporary
stamp. The restoration in any case must be preceded and followed
by an archaeological and historical study of the monument.
ARTICLE 10. Where traditional techniques prove inadequate,
the consolidation of a monument can be achieved by the use of any
modem technique for conservation and construction, the efficacy
of which has been shown by scientific data and proved by
experience.
ARTICLE 11. The valid contributions of all periods to the
building of a monument must be respected, since unity of style is
not the aim of a restoration. When a building includes the
superimposed work of different periods, the revealing of the
underlying state can only be justified in exceptional
circumstances and when what is removed is of little interest and
the material which is brought to light is of great historical,
archaeological or aesthetic value, and its state of preservation
good enough to justify the action. Evaluation of the importance
of the elements involved and the decision as to what may be
destroyed cannot rest solely on the individual in charge of the
work.
ARTICLE 12. Replacements of missing parts must integrate
harmoniously with the whole, but at the same time must be
distinguishable from the original so that restoration does not
falsify the artistic or historic evidence.
ARTICLE 13. Additions cannot be allowed except in so far
as they do not detract from the interesting parts of the
building, its traditional setting, the balance of its composition
and its relation with its surroundings.
ARTICLE 14. The sites of monuments must be the object of
special care in order to safeguard their integrity and ensure
that they are cleared and presented in a seemly manner. The work
of conservation and restoration carried out in such places should
be inspired by the principles set forth in the foregoing
articles.
ARTICLE 15. Excavations should be carried out in
accordance with scientific standards and the recommendation
defining international principles
to be applied in the case of
archaeological excavation adopted by UNESCO in 1956.
Ruins must be maintained and measures necessary for the permanent
conservation and protection of architectural features and of
objects discovered must be taken. Furthermore, every means must
be taken to facilitate the understanding of the monument and to
reveal it without ever distorting its meaning.
All reconstruction work should however be ruled out "a priori."
Only anastylosis, that is to say, the reassembling of existing
but dismembered parts can be permitted. The material used for
integration should always be recognizable and its use should be
the least that will ensure the conservation of a monument and the
reinstatement of its form.
ARTICLE 16. In all works of preservation, restoration or
excavation, there should always be precise documentation in the
form of analytical and critical reports, illustrated with
drawings and photographs. Every stage of the work of clearing,
consolidation, rearrangement and integration, as well as
technical and formal features identified during the course of the
work, should be included. This record should be placed in the
archives of a public institution and made available to research
workers. It is recommended that the report should be
published.
The following persons took part in the work of the Committee for
drafting the International Charter for the Conservation and
Restoration of Monuments:
Piero Gazzola (Italy), Chairman
Raymond Lemaire (Belgium), Reporter
Jose Bassegoda-Nonell (Spain)
Luis Benavente (Portugal)
Djurdje Boskovic (Yugoslavia)
