Lucca, 1838

This research examines the amphitheatres that are present in the Italian peninsula, center of the Roman Empire, to analyze from different perspectives the connections that exist between the architecture of these monuments and the subsequent use made of these constructions, presenting at the same time the historical development of the ruins from the origins up to the present. The text is divided in six sections; it opens with underlining the architectonic peculiarities of the amphitheatre and the classification of the ruins; then follow other chapters that deal with the diverse systems to reutilize these materials in the course of time and their purpose (for housing, churches, public use, etc.). It ends with a final analysis of the buildings, considering the examined cases as the base on which most of the amphitheatres have been reused. The text represents a valid occasion to reflect on a particularly complex theme, such as that of archaeological restoration, and to take a tour in the world of Italian amphitheatres.

Taisuke Kuroda (Tokyo, 1967) is an architect and Associate Professor at the Kanto Gakuin University of Yokohama. In 1995 he collaborated with the architect M. Carmassi and began to take interest in the Lucca Amphitheatre, thus receiving in 2003 the Encouragement Prize of AIJ for his research on the reuse of this amphitheatre.

Taisuke Kuroda published this text in Japanese. We now find it, reviewed and with in-depth analysis, in this Italian version.

96 pages, format 21×23 b/w illustratons

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