Image reintegration. Restoring the Palace in the Kyrenia Castle, Cyprus

Abstract

Built next to the ancient harbour the castle of Kyrenia overlooks the surrounding historical fabric as a monumental landmark. The Byzantines established a fortress in the X century; this was transformed in a crusader castle in the XIII century, and then became one of the residences of the King of Cyprus. The Venetian rule brought further substantial modifications the XVI century. The enhancement project focuses on the recognition of the artefact’s cultural value and the implicit need of its conservation. The surface consolidation is necessary to prevent the erosion of the ashlars. The project has been conceived in compliance with the principle of “authenticity of the material”, and based the reintegration of the architectural lacuna on the western facade on the philological reconstruction of the architectural elements in corten steel panels with a reversible and recognizable solution. The partial reconstruction of the portico running along the ground floor enhances the historical spatiality and redistributes the Shipwreck museum, envisaging unitary planning in order facilitate the monument’s accessibility.