Quale lampada per il futuro? Restauro e creatività per la tutela del patrimonio

John Ruskin, a multifaceted figure of the 19th century, provided an essential contribution to preservation. He dedicated a chapter to the theme of memory in The Seven Lamps of Architecture, highlighting issues that mark their topicality. Especially, the task «to preserve, as the most precious of inheritances, that of past ages», guaranteeing at the same time «the luxury of change», makes clear a theoretical-operational node which allows to open a reflection on his valuable contribution. As a matter of fact, the abovementioned argumentation finds a significant reverberation in restoration. The encounter between the needs for preservation and reuse is part of a metamorphosis process which, through careful additions, can introduce symbolic references to highlight the semantic content of a work, as well as to add new meanings to it. From this perspective, the relationship between restoration and contemporary art constitutes a possible means of achieving this objective. Through an interweaving of theory and examples of works of art and architecture, this paper aims to provide a contribution to underline Ruskin’s legacy as a solid foundation for a restoration project that is respectful of the past and, with the help of creativity, projected into the future.