A possible sustainability in the conservation of the material heritage: examples in the port of Genoa

Is it possible to preserve historic buildings, pass on their memory, make their history understood and at the same time give them new functions? How much can the new demands of life and work be reconciled with the maintenance of historical structures? How much in carrying out conservation projects can one count on political will, on popular participation? How can we intervene to help a change of mentality: from transformation and destruction to conservation and respect? Is it possible to achieve sustainability in a heritage conservation project? These are some of the questions that have been focused on in recent years. For this purpose, it was decided to present a research project on an area rich in history and transformations: the area of the ancient port of Genoa. The project is part of a broader research plan already started some years ago in cooperation with the Universidad del Pais Vasco and CISAPSI-Switzerland. In this essay we want to address the issue of warehouses serving the port; medieval warehouses, transformed several times. Today, in many cases, they are faced with yet another change. In particular, the methodology applied for the Salt Warehouse in the Molo District will be illustrated (historical analysis in various city archives, complex archaeological high level analysis, urban research). It was possible to identify the first nucleus of the building and the subsequent modifications of the 17th-18th centuries. Currently, the Porto Antico area of Genoa, adjacent to the Molo District, is a highly tourist area.