"Bella e simmetrica". Reggio 1855-1908: norme, regolamenti, architettura civile nella seconda metà dell'800

The architectural history of Reggio Calabria during the century becomes part of the urban reconstruction, marked by the Enlightenment culture, started after the earthquake of 1783. Particularly, in the second half of XIX century we can record a significant urban development due to social requests, that were pressing, and demographic increase that inevitably influenced the architectural production. As a consequence, the architectural image of the city in those years was characterized by different and not much coherent experiences. In this circumstances, where architecture varied between existing buildings, adjustments and new building constructions, the city Council aimed to impose a regularization, trying to get a respectable urban image. This objective was pursuing by adopting simplified types, preferring rhythmic urban fronts, seeking for harmonic connections among the architectural elements adopted, choosing symmetrical solutions for the fronts, even in accordance with the standards defined in those years by the Building Regulations. In this way, to pursue a shared idea of urban decorum, it has been tried to enclose the interests of individuals, limiting all the uncontrolled initiative. In this stratified context, where lexicons inherited from traditional architecture were linked together with those produced by the neoclassical experiences and also with the renewal promoted in the second half of the XIX century architecture. In this way they tried to get the neoclassical experience, already spent, towards newer et simpler solutions. This choice did not express the desire of local culture. On the contrary, it was in harmony with the addresses that Italian and European architecture pursued in the second half of XIX century.