La paternità di Strada Nuova a Genova: ciclicità della storia e delle ideologie

Often, or almost always, the history and critique of artistic disciplines, particularly architecture, stem from the need to address current inquiries; they possess a more operative character compared to what occurs in other historical disciplines, aiding artists or architects in their work. This simultaneously constitutes both a flaw and a virtue. The narrative of Strada Nuova in Genova is particularly apt to highlight how the ideological purposes of those who study can shape the outcome of research, to the extent that, upon reevaluation, some conclusions may even appear somewhat naive. The article retraces the various interpretations that Strada Nuova has undergone from Giorgio Vasari until today. It commenced with the interpretation proposed by Ennio Poleggi, which has recently gained considerable credibility, aiming to compare it with other interpretations, particularly those put forward by Mario Labò, Emmina De Negri, and Pietro Torriti. Through this analysis, an attempt was made to demonstrate how ideological readings sometimes strongly influence the choice among different interpretations, often failing to reflect an objective analysis of the available data but rather echoing the conceptions of the time in which they were formulated.