Which authenticity for Fascist regime architecture? The case of the Santarelli Kindergarten in Forlì (Italy)

The Nara Document on Authenticity (1994) recommends to consider all «original and subsequent characteristics of the cultural heritage». Built during the Fascist regime, the Santarelli Kindergarten in Forlì (1934-1937) represents a significant example of the deep changes that a building is destined to undergo in the course of time. In fact, its original aspect inspired by Rationalism has been affected by many transformations that altered not only the architecture but also the emotional effect of the complex balance between form and matter. Moreover, this “metamorphosis” can also be seen as a slow tendency to efface the building’s very presence in the historic city to dissimulate its origin linked to the Fascist regime. As the paper will highlight, all these aspects prompt a reflection on the concept of authenticity in relation to the interventions on this case study and, in a wider perspective, on the theme of authenticity connected to Fascist regime architecture.