Osservazione e comprensione dal rudere al paesaggio. Unità morfologica e verità estetica negli scritti di John Ruskin

The paper proposes a reflection on the theoretical activity of John Ruskin towards the ruins and aims to analyze if these ideas find a legacy and a connection today in the criticism of the current conservation and architectural policies. For this purpose, my paper will analyze the ideas of the English critic related to ruins, studying how his approach was not of an aesthetic nature, but rather ethical. From this, his hostility to restoration will be better understood, as actions of mystification not of protection, and it will be possible to underline his attention to the conservation of cultural heritage with a more authentic approach. Finally, the paper will analyze some contemporary researches and activities attributable to the thoughts of Ruskin, to reiterate the relevance of the theories of the English critic even in different contexts and arts.