Reconstruction And Conservation In The Post-Truth Era. Historical Lies, Authenticity, Material Evidence

The paper proposes some short reflections on two possible practices in the field of restoration of architectural heritage: reconstructing a vanished or ruined artefact or preserving the signs of its destruction or damage. The author deals with these two truly conflicting choices, underlining the opportunity not to compromise the possibility of future generations interpreting history on the basis of a wide range of material and verifiable sources. This aspect seems particularly relevant, especially in the light of the current ‘post-truth era’ problems, such as historical revisionism, manipulation of the recent and distant past and, more in general, a widespread relativism about knowledge. Starting from a consideration on the notion of “temporal paradox”, the author – also through some case studies – focuses on the risks generated by the option to cancel or alter history without generating subsequent unforeseen consequences. Alternatively, an approach aimed at preserving traces of the past can be used as a tool for historiography, as this material evidence can be used as an essential source to reconstruct history, in the future.