Camillo Boito
Encyclopedia
Camillo Boito was an Italian architect and engineer, and a noted art critic, art historian and novelist.
and then architecture at the Accademia
(School of Fine Arts) in Venice
. During his time there, he was influenced by Selvatico Estense, an architect who championed the study of medieval art in Italy. He taught architecture at the Venice School of Fine Arts until 1856 when he moved to Tuscany
.
During his extensive work restoring ancient buildings, he tried to reconcile the conflicting views of his contemporaries on architectural restoration, notably those of Eugene Viollet-le-Duc
and John Ruskin
. This reconciliation of ideas was presented at the III Conference of Architects and Civil Engineers of Rome in 1883 in a document later to be known as the "Prima Carta del Restauro" or the Charter of Restoration. This inaugural charter develops eight points to be taken into consideration in the restoration of historical monuments:
1. The differentiation of style between new and old parts of a building.
2. The differentiation in building materials between the new and the old.
3. Suppression of moldings and decorative elements in new fabric placed in a historical building.
4. Exhibition in a nearby place of any material parts of a historical building that were removed during the process of restoration.
5. Inscription of the date (or a conventional symbol)on new fabric in a historical building.
6. Descriptive epigraph of the restoration work done attached to the monument.
7. Registration and description with photographs of the different phases of restoration. This register should remain in the monument or in a nearby public place. This requirement may be substituted by publication of this material.
8. Visual notoriety of the restoration work done.
The concern was for maintaining authenticity in terms of the identification of original materials. At the same time, the intention was to promote a "scientific" attitude toward restoration. Boito's principles were well accepted and inspired modern legislation on restoration of historical monuments in several countries.
Boito is perhaps most famous for his restoration of the Church and Campanile of Santi Maria e Donato at Murano
, inspired by the theories and techniques of Viollet-Le-Duc. He also worked on the Porta Ticinese
in Milan
between 1856–1858 and famed Basilica of Saint Anthony
in Padua
in 1899.
Other architectural designs include Gallarate Hospital (in Gallarate
, Italy) and a school in Milan. His most famous building in Milan is the Casa di Riposo per Musicisti
which was built 1895 - 99. It was financed by the composer Giuseppe Verdi
and serves as a rest home for retired musicians, and as a memorial for the composer, who is buried in the crypt of the chapel there. In the early 1900s, Boito helped shape Italian laws protecting historical monuments.
Boito died in Milan in 1914.
short story titled "A Christmas Eve
", a tale of incest
uous obsession and necrophilia
, which bears a striking similarity to Edgar Allan Poe
's "Berenice
." A short film adaptation is due for release in 2011.
Around 1882 he wrote his most famous novella, Senso, a disturbing tale of sexual decadence. In 1954, Senso was memorably adapted for the screen by Italian director Luchino Visconti
and then, later, in 2002 into a more sexually disturbing adaptation by Tinto Brass
.
Another story, "Un Corpo
" (also dealing with themes of sexual decadence and necrophilia), has recently been adapted into an opera by the Greek composer Kharálampos Goyós.
Arrigo Boito
, Camillo's younger brother, was a noted poet, composer and the author of the libretti for Giuseppe Verdi
's last two great operas, Otello
and Falstaff
.
Biography
Boito was born in Rome, the son of an Italian painter of miniatures. He studied in PaduaPadua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
and then architecture at the Accademia
Accademia
The Accademia is a museum gallery of pre-19th century art in Venice, northern Italy. Situated on the south bank of the Grand Canal, within the sestiere of Dorsoduro, it gives its name to one of the three bridges across the canal, the Ponte dell'Accademia, and to the boat landing station for the...
(School of Fine Arts) in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. During his time there, he was influenced by Selvatico Estense, an architect who championed the study of medieval art in Italy. He taught architecture at the Venice School of Fine Arts until 1856 when he moved to Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
.
During his extensive work restoring ancient buildings, he tried to reconcile the conflicting views of his contemporaries on architectural restoration, notably those of Eugene Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was a French architect and theorist, famous for his interpretive "restorations" of medieval buildings. Born in Paris, he was a major Gothic Revival architect.-Early years:...
and John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
. This reconciliation of ideas was presented at the III Conference of Architects and Civil Engineers of Rome in 1883 in a document later to be known as the "Prima Carta del Restauro" or the Charter of Restoration. This inaugural charter develops eight points to be taken into consideration in the restoration of historical monuments:
1. The differentiation of style between new and old parts of a building.
2. The differentiation in building materials between the new and the old.
3. Suppression of moldings and decorative elements in new fabric placed in a historical building.
4. Exhibition in a nearby place of any material parts of a historical building that were removed during the process of restoration.
5. Inscription of the date (or a conventional symbol)on new fabric in a historical building.
6. Descriptive epigraph of the restoration work done attached to the monument.
7. Registration and description with photographs of the different phases of restoration. This register should remain in the monument or in a nearby public place. This requirement may be substituted by publication of this material.
8. Visual notoriety of the restoration work done.
The concern was for maintaining authenticity in terms of the identification of original materials. At the same time, the intention was to promote a "scientific" attitude toward restoration. Boito's principles were well accepted and inspired modern legislation on restoration of historical monuments in several countries.
Boito is perhaps most famous for his restoration of the Church and Campanile of Santi Maria e Donato at Murano
Murano
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about 1.5 km north of Venice and measures about across with a population of just over 5,000 . It is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking...
, inspired by the theories and techniques of Viollet-Le-Duc. He also worked on the Porta Ticinese
Porta Ticinese
Porta Ticinese is a former city gate of Milan, Italy. The gate, facing south-west, was first created with the Spanish walls of the city, in the 16th century, but the original structure was later demolished and replaced in the early 19th century...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
between 1856–1858 and famed Basilica of Saint Anthony
Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
The Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in Padua, northern Italy. Although the Basilica is visited as a place of pilgrimage by people from all over the world, it is not the titular cathedral of the city, a title belonging to the...
in Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
in 1899.
Other architectural designs include Gallarate Hospital (in Gallarate
Gallarate
Gallarate is a city and comune of Lombardy, northern Italy, in the Province of Varese. It has a population of some 51,700....
, Italy) and a school in Milan. His most famous building in Milan is the Casa di Riposo per Musicisti
Casa di Riposo per Musicisti
The Casa di Riposo per Musicisti is a rest home for retired opera singers and musicians in Milan, northern Italy, founded by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi in 1896. The building was designed in the neo-Gothic style by Italian architect, Camillo Boito. Both Verdi and his wife, Giuseppina...
which was built 1895 - 99. It was financed by the composer Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
and serves as a rest home for retired musicians, and as a memorial for the composer, who is buried in the crypt of the chapel there. In the early 1900s, Boito helped shape Italian laws protecting historical monuments.
Boito died in Milan in 1914.
Literary Works
Boito also wrote several collections of short stories, including a psychological horrorPsychological horror
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror fiction that relies on character fears, guilt, beliefs, eerie sound effects, relevant music and emotional instability to build tension and further the plot...
short story titled "A Christmas Eve
A Christmas Eve
A Christmas Eve is a short story by Camillo Boito which appeared in his anthology of decadence and perversity titled Tales of Vanity , which also featured his more famous work, Senso....
", a tale of incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous obsession and necrophilia
Necrophilia
Necrophilia, also called thanatophilia or necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses,It is classified as a paraphilia by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The word is artificially derived from the ancient Greek words: νεκρός and φιλία...
, which bears a striking similarity to Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's "Berenice
Berenice (short story)
"Berenice" is a short horror story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the Southern Literary Messenger in 1835. The story follows a man named Egaeus who is preparing to marry his cousin Berenice. He has a tendency to fall into periods of intense focus during which he seems to separate himself...
." A short film adaptation is due for release in 2011.
Around 1882 he wrote his most famous novella, Senso, a disturbing tale of sexual decadence. In 1954, Senso was memorably adapted for the screen by Italian director Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...
and then, later, in 2002 into a more sexually disturbing adaptation by Tinto Brass
Tinto Brass
Giovanni Brass , better known as Tinto Brass, is an Italian filmmaker. He is noted especially for his work in the erotic genre, with films such as Così fan tutte , Paprika, Monella and Trasgredire...
.
Another story, "Un Corpo
The Body (short story)
"The Body" is a short story by Camillo Boito. It is a psychological study of two obsessive men, an artist and an anatomist who lust after the beauty of Charlotte, the former's mistress...
" (also dealing with themes of sexual decadence and necrophilia), has recently been adapted into an opera by the Greek composer Kharálampos Goyós.
Arrigo Boito
Arrigo Boito
Arrigo Boito , aka Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito, pseudonym Tobia Gorrio, was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist and composer, best known today for his libretti, especially those for Giuseppe Verdi's operas Otello and Falstaff, and his own opera Mefistofele...
, Camillo's younger brother, was a noted poet, composer and the author of the libretti for Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's last two great operas, Otello
Otello
Otello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
and Falstaff
Falstaff (opera)
Falstaff is an operatic commedia lirica in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeare's plays The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV. It was Verdi's last opera, written in the composer's ninth decade, and only the second of his 26 operas to be a comedy...
.
See also
- ScapigliaturaScapigliaturaScapigliatura is the name of the artistic movement which developed in Italy after the period known as Risorgimento,...
- Senso