Caratti-Govone Mansion Restoration – Alba

Caratti-Govone Mansion Restoration – Alba

The Caratti family (XIII cen.) built its mansion next to the Duomo, over the “Alba Pompeia” roman Domus ruins. Apart of an invasive transformation during the Post World War II period, in order to adapt the construction to different uses and architectural styles, it has been subject of a succession of addictions and remodelings over the centuries.
Due to the closure of upper loggias and the subsequent openings, it has been necessary to sew up the precious windows dating 1300-1400 causing relevant structural criticalities.

The substitution of the wooden coffered ceilings with barrel vaults allowed to maintain large surfaces of the medieval masonries, historiated with plaster decorations that were discovered after some consolidations. The removal of the structural brick elements and the timber tie-beams, replaced with thin steel bars, assure a better legibility, through the glass floors, of the unique frescos from the Lombardy’s tradition.

The transformation into a luxury residential building, developed with a harmonious co-operation with Piemonte Superintendences, is the result of a conscious balance between conservation and valorization needs concerning the existing construction and the numerous artifacts retrieved. The philological restoration of the medieval façade along via Vida allows to comprehend the stylistic evolution of the construction during centuries.

Punctual consolidations of the masonry allowed the partial removal of the arcades’ closures enhancing underlying double, triple lancet windows and many brick and painted plaster architectural details in their original colors. All the restorations have been realized with a regardful attention to the traditional materials, know-hows and technologies. Despite that, all the restored parts are easily recognizable and clearly distinguishable.

The architectural investigation and the consequent reveal of an interesting and complex collection of existing stratifications from the roman and medieval period imposed the redefinition of the project of the 63 underground parking and basements.
In order to suit the commercial needs with the conservative approach, the vertical connections have been relocated and a new archeological path (underground Alba- Eusebio Civic Museum) allows visitors and owners to read the history of the construction.
The following intervention included the restoration of a “domus”, part of the sewer and roman urban path and large roman and medieval masonry portion.

By enhancing an articulate collection of historical artifacts belonging to the period of construction and transformation of the building, the detailed study of the interiors unlocked the approval of the restoration project of the palace.

The domus mosaic and cocciopesto floors, together with the remains of the roman city and other artifacts of the post-roman and medieval age increase the commercial value of the new residential units and testify a glorious past.

The demolition of some minor accretions allowed to focus the archeological research, to valorize the inner court, to build the underground parking and to sew up the façade towards the Theatre through a new high-tech low-energy reinterpretation of a neoclassical style construction.

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