The recovery of a historical building is never an easy task. To restore a property with such prestige and meaning as that of the Villa of Giacomo Puccini requires a logical approach which is not simply connected with its recovery for mere conservation purposes. It is essential to think of the recovery of architecture with a view to re-use, fully protecting its integrity and historical quality and, while confirming its total identity, bringing the structure back to life.
In planning the restoration of the Villa every element of its recovery was considered, above all in terms of a philological restoration.
The preliminary diagnostic campaign provided a factual overview to define the state of structural conservation of parts of the façade, the construction materials, and the decorated surfaces.
The restoration plan considers above all the type and period of construction of the Villa, about 100 years ago, 1921-2021, providing for a conservative restoration fully respecting the basic principles of compatibility, reversibility, recognisability, and minimum intervention.
The current state of conservation of the Villa appears particularly deteriorated due to the state of abandonment in which it has been for many years. Over time, it has been submitted to many interventions and remodelling, and the use of certain construction materials has surely contributed to emphasising the poor breathability of the wall surfaces, making it essential to reduce the level of humidity inside the walls.
An in-depth methodological analysis and design hypotheses followed, using the appropriate diagnostic and technological supports to conduct a detailed analysis on all the components of the building without neglecting minor aspects. The compositional situation of the mortars, plasters and colours were analysed in detail and the condition of the roof covering, roofing and attic structures to check the impact of past interventions.
Another important investigation is the verification of wall decorations inside the Villa.. The inner walls are all covered with numerous layers of plastering accumulated over the years and during the various maintenance work carried out. The tests have revealed the presence of decorations made following the instructions imparted by the Maestro. These decorations have been compared with photos of the 1920s which show Giacomo Puccini inside the Villa of Viareggio and more precisely in the living room, in the Maestro’s bedroom and in his study on the ground floor.
The intervention on the façades and on the finishes are limited to cleaning and protection, excluding any addition, subtraction and alteration. Essentially, the interventions will be those required and compatible to ensure conservation of the existing decorations and structural parts.
A detailed analysis was also conducted on all the decorations of the external surfaces of the Villa above all as regards the parts of ornate plasterwork and the twenty-five quadrangular ceramic tiles, belonging to the production of Manifattura Chini.
Given the good state of conservation of the pottery, only dusting and cleaning with demineralised water will be carried out. Only the small gaps which may arise after cleaning will be stuccoed.
Cleaning, securing and consolidation of the decorations present in the windows is also envisaged.
Due to the complexity of the interventions required to restore the Villa, these will be conducted with extreme care and professionalism, to proceed to the recovery of the same, protect and transmit its important historical and architectural value.
Our thanks to the architect Monica Marchetti, head of the restoration project, for her advice on texts and images.
