Historic Preservation Program

Summer Field Course in Southern Italy
EXPERIENCE preservation in action
DISCOVER new skills, new cultures, new places
LEARN preservation techniques from regional scholars and traditional artisans
LIVE in an historic monument
PROGRAM: Arc Boutant (French term for flying buttress) is an academic program for the preservation of historic landmarks. Participants from around the world are invited to immerse themselves in a new culture while pursuing the hands-on conservation of endangered monuments. As the name states, the mission of the program is to fortify and maintain historic landmarks and to teach budding preservationists methods in materials conservation and historic building systems within the structures’ cultural contexts. Exposure to contemporary conservation challenges is balanced by discussions of ethics, philosophy, and preservation principles and methodologies.

Participants are lodged in the monument itself. Studying the structure from the inside out, students acquire an intimate knowledge of its history, its construction and finishes, and its needs. Designed as course work, lectures and projects are led by regional scholars and building professionals who demonstrate traditional and contemporary techniques of conservation.
Current Project: Southern Italy: the Sassi of Matera
Contact: annetoxey@arcboutant.org
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