The transformation process of masonry buildings in historic towns: the case of Medicina in northern Italy

The paper analyses the evolutionary process which befell traditional masonry buildings in most towns of the Po Valley. Although each building represents a unique case, with its own history, the origins and transformation of historic buildings can be traced by a process of refinement in the analysis of the built heritage at different scales that allow us to switch between the urban structure and the building fabric itself, and from this to architectural choices. This method of multiscalar reading of the built environment is illustrated for the town of Medicina located in the plain to the east of Bologna, an area that is well-suited to this kind of analysis as the traditional buildings in the town are almost all constructed of brick. The authors argue for the need to ensure that all restoration of historic buildings is undertaken only after a good understanding of the construction techniques used in the building itself, and the history of its previous transformations, have been gained.