Andrea Bruno e l’Afghanistan: memoria, restauro e paesaggi culturali tra XX e XXI secolo | Andrea Bruno in Afghanistan. Memory, Restoration, and Cultural Landscape between 20th and 21st Century

Abstract

The study examines Andrea Bruno’s contribution to the conservation of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage between 1960 and 2016, based on archival documents preserved at the Iuav Archivio Progetti and showcased in the exhibition Andrea Bruno. Afghanistan 1960–2016 (Università Iuav di Venezia, 19th February – 6th March 2025). Through the case studies of the Minaret of Jam, the Buddhas of Bamiyan, the Mausoleum of Abdur Razzaq, and the Citadel of Herat, the paper highlights the evolution of the architect’s methodology: from preventive documentation to an ethical approach to conservation founded on the principles of adaptability and recognizability of the intervention within a framework of continuous attention to local building techniques. Bruno’s work emerges as a long-term critical laboratory for rethinking conservation practices in crisis contexts, proposing an integrated approach that combines preservation, reuse, and cultural narrative.