Il viaggio in Italia e il preludio della conservazione urbana: prossimità di Ruskin e Buls

The issues concerning Ruskin’s reception are examined in relation to two key aspects of his cultural legacy: the exploration of Italian heritage as a perceptive and interrogative source, and the appropriation of this heritage as part of the objective of conservation. The study draws upon the Italian travel carnets of Charles Buls (1837-1914), a Belgian publicist, aesthete and art critic who provided a decisive impetus for the codification of urban-scale restoration. The travel notebooks, largely unpublished and held at the Archives de la Ville de Bruxelles, document his movements within the Peninsula between 1901 and 1909, retracing some of the stages of Ruskin’s journey. This connection can also be traced by reading through Buls’ texts dedicated to restoration. Here, the reference to Ruskin’s opinions is explicit and prevalent in the understanding of conservation as a social emergency, or even in the promotion of craftsmanship and teaching in the artistic field, within the context of the Arts and Crafts culture.