Faut-il restaurer les ruines ? – A third of a century of French debates and some Romanian repercussions

Raluca Iosipescu, Sergiu Iosipescu

The organization at the end of 1990 (November 8-10) by the Directorate of French Heritage, - with the support of the National Treasury of Monuments and Historic Sites - of a colloquium with that title, represented the first major scientific manifestation of the new management of the aforementioned institution, installed in July of the same year and who had decided to tackle a very controversial topic. The historical, symbolic ruin, its preservation and legibility, the existing archaeological site, the restitution, the reconstruction and the margin of invention, finally the reuse of the edifices were considered.

The authors of this communication were preparing right then, thanks to the logistics generously provided by the late Gavrilă Simion, about that time director of the Tulcean museum, an on-site discussion regarding the research and restoration of the "Heraclea" fortress from Enisala, in which the late Radu Popa, Ion Barnea, Gheorghe Anghel, Nicolae Constantinescu would participate (November 1990). The discussion at that time was the impetus for the start of the new researches at the castle and fortress of Yenisale from 1991-1999 and the restoration started also then. The first ones benefited, right from 1991, by the exchange of opinions with the archaeological mission sent by the French Heritage Directorate and during their entire development by the support of the late colleague and friend architect Gheorghe Sion.

Along with the conclusions and the findings related to the restoration of Yenisale, the communication analyzes under the proposed theme - Faut-il restaurer les ruins? - the results obtained on some of the archaeological sites managed by the authors from Chioar, Vadu, Curtea de Argeș, Ceplenița, Florești. The conservation and legibility of the ruins, the relationship between the above-ground constructions and the archaeological site, the major, indispensable role of historical-archaeological research in any restoration, enhancement and reuse of the monument, are some of the issues subject to our debate.

The communication is at the same time a tribute to the memory of the architect Christian Dupavillon († January 24, 2024), the general director of the French Heritage Directorate (July 1990-July 1993), the organizer of the mentioned colloquium and the valuable supporter of Romanian historical monuments.