Madrignano Castle
Castrum Madrignani - first quotation in 1164 A.D. - was a Malaspina marquises fortress and mason since 18th century. It has been listed on the Italian Heritage List since 1911. The castle has come to our days as a ruin and represents an important monument. It has archaeological importance and is located in a point of visual dominance as it is visible in many ways around. The castle is situated in the low Vara Valley, that was the old boundary of the Malaspina marquises lands, toward the Republic of Genoa territory. The position allows for extraordinary visibility that embraces a panorama that goes from the Alpi Apuane to the Tuscany Gulf to the Vara Valley, toward which the two towers of the building are faced.
The Municipality asked to the Soprintendenza (specific MiC local Heritage bureau) for the adaptive reuse of the building. It should be noted that this approach of convergence of interests does not fit into the standard, despite this being a country with a long tradition in monument conservation. The challenge was to preserve as many traces of the past as possible and, at the same time, reconvert the building. The municipality's proposal to bring the building back to life seemed to guarantee the maintenance of the building, an aim that was unlikely to be achieved with the renovation of the remains alone.
Despite the size of the building, the project was complex due to the density of problems: renovation, static and seismic reinforcement, improvement of accessibility, introduction of systems suitable for new activities. What we wanted to do was reconnect the monument to the territory with innovative solutions.
The project is aimed at:
a) restoration and structural consolidation of the castle walls;
b) reuse the spaces, with new additions;
c) allow people to reach the castle thanks to the new inclined lift.
This produced many problems. The challenge was to coordinate the large amount of specific solutions.
The castle area requires prevention from the effects of seismic action. Then the large wall structures of the castle were investigated. We intervened in various ways to limit the damage of the presumed earthquake, without compromising the value of the cultural heritage: mortar injections, wall tie rods and steel cables.
Three large "gantry" were designed for the south wall which also serve to support the roofing of the open space on the first floor.
The new activities planned involved some local interventions. We have rebuilt some parts of the building that was a ruin: two suspended wooden floors, which allude to the lost vaults, a large open space on the first level, new stairs and modern systems.
The idea was to use modern materials and shapes but, in any case, with geometries and combinations that harmonize with the existing building.
The new activities planned in the castle required new accessibility. The solution of a new inclined lift did not compromise the perception of the castle on the top of the rock. For this reason the lift was positioned in the northern area where the second city wall collapsed during the siege of the 18th century and also where the visibility of the intervention was minimal.
