Project description
A closer look at architectural heritage along the Silk Road
Across the ages, the architectural heritage of Europe and the Middle East remains shrouded in mystery, limiting our understanding of the past. To address this, the DOMES project sets out to unravel the enigmatic transmission of architectural knowledge along the Silk Road, particularly from Persia to medieval Italy during the 14th century. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, DOMES breaks away from conventional linear classifications. It adopts an innovative research methodology that delves into the material essence of site-specific traditions. Focusing on the exchange of technical and preservationist knowledge, the project investigates the transfer of double-shell brick dome construction expertise from Iran to Italy and the reciprocal exchange during restorations in the 1960s and 1970s.
Objective
DOMES is an exploration of the shared architectural legacy of Europe and the Middle East. Specifically, my project details the transmission of architectural knowledge across the Silk Road from Persia to medieval Italy during the fourteenth century. Utilizing an innovative research methodology, DOMES aims to overcome traditional classification of architectural history based on the linear evolution and comparison of styles and forms, to promote a more comprehensive account of the history of construction, nourished by the material understanding of site-specific traditions. Utilizing structural building techniques as the basis for the project, DOMES focuses on the transmission of two types of architectural knowledge: technical knowledge and preservationist knowledge. This project proposes that the technological knowledge of building double-shell brick domes was originally transferred from Iran to Italy. Furthermore, DOMES investigates the historical exchange of Italian architectural restorers and Iranian preservationists through the study of the restorations of the same double-shell brick dome monuments during the 1960-70s. Through the combination of the study of unpublished archival documents in Tehran and the on-site analysis of the restorations carried out on monuments, DOMES will provide an innovative example of medieval global architectural history and will narrate the transfer of preservation knowledge from Italy to Iran.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global FellowshipsCoordinator
40126 Bologna
Italy