The buildings inside the Citadel of Alessandria: architectural and construction history

Overview of a research, focusing on the construction history of the buildings within the Citadel of Alessandria. While these buildings are part of our National heritage, they have never been considered, up to this day, in their complex materiality. The research aims to cross-reference the archival information on the citadel’s early history with the close observation of the buildings, in order to construct a plausible interpretation of their planning and construction process, and of their actual physical configuration. Among the research questions, at the time this report is going into print, are the following: what construction techniques and materials were employed in the Citadel? Who were the main actors involved and how do they relate to the state-of-the art knowledge of their time? How did the buildings perform in their time? Were any crises and failures recorded, and if so, did they lead to improvements or modifications? How does the materiality of the buildings relate to the reuse / preservation / consolidation issues that arise today?