Sustainability of architectonic conservation yards in environmental protected areas: The case of the zénobito tower in Capraia Island

The issues addressed in the restoration project for Zénobito's Tower, in Capraia Island, are a stimulus for a broader debate on sustainability of architectural preservation interventions in delicate environmental contexts inside protected areas. As a matter of fact the preservation intervention on the tower and the absolute preservation of the environmental context impose a severity rarely practiced, even in restoration. The tower is three and half hours walking distance from the village, in a wilderness area where in some periods even walking is forbidden, due to protection of nesting birds. The sea in front of it is a marine protected reserve, with severe limits on access by boat. The authors set the goals of the projects for restoration of this heritage as material conservation of the tower; minimal intervention; reversibility or retractability; usage of eco-friendly materials. All this led to a serious reflection and a careful evaluation of every factor that may have an impact on the environment. This paper includes a theoretical discussion, puts several questions and suggests guidelines that should be valid in all similar situations.