Dalla percezione del Genius loci al progetto. Proposte di riuso dell'ex chiesa di Sant'Anna a Piazza Armerina

The paper focuses on the research and teaching activities carried out on the former church of Sant’Anna in Piazza Armerina, Sicily, which is a masterpiece of late-Baroque architecture from the middle of the 18th century. The monument is characterized by the central octagonal plan, the sinuous shapes of the façade and the extensive use of brick both in the main front and the internal wall structure: a feature, which distinguishes the baroque archi- tecture of Piazza Armerina and a few neighboring urban centers, almost totally absent in the rest of the island. The church was plagued by turbulent events during the 20th century, starting with abandonment in the 1930s and lasting until 2020, and the concrete risk of demolition being feared in the 1960s. The historical research, the in-depth surveys and the diagnostic investigations were conducted by an international research team from the Kore University of Enna and the Vallès School of Architecture (ETSAV-UPC) in the framework of the Restoration Laboratory course of the Academic Year 2023-24. Students were able to interact with this impressive architectural work and with all the phases required by the complex cognitive process to formulate appropriate project proposals for its conservation and reuse.