Strategies and Conservation Concepts in the Bridge of Arco in Marco de Canaveses

Abstract

The conservation of a structure with cultural value, such as the Bridge of Arco, is necessary for the purpose of preserving and safeguarding any monument, but it can also be an activity that causes disturbances and changes in a place or in its construction. However, the need to transmit these medieval arch bridges from generation to generation is conditioned by the erosion of the elements and by the action of men, which during their life course are causing changes that compromise the stability of this type of structures, their construction rationality and the context in which they are inserted, determining the need for a project, that ensures their safeguard through conservation and valorisation actions. These actions are determined through a conservation methodology, that defines strategies and project criteria appropriate to the heritage, which respects their values and meanings, using tried and tested repair methods compatible with these stone masonry structures in a manner that does not damage the historical materials and their cultural significance. This is done not only with the minimum of invasive means, but also verifying the relationship that he established with the territory in which it is inserted, as a repository of identity and authenticity of the heritage itself that is added to it. The article reports a concrete case study, approaching the conservation methodology, that was used to define the strategies and project criteria carried out in the Bridge of Arco conservation. It does not aspire to find a standard solution for the safeguard of medieval arch bridges conservation, but rather to test a methodology as a key to understanding, debating and sharing knowledge in the heritage conservation.