Revealed Spaces. The Hypogeal Churches of Naples Between Improved Knowledge and New Forms of Expanded Fruition

Abstract

[EN] The search for new forms of use for under-utilised or abandoned ecclesiastical heritage represents one of the main challenges for the culture of conservation, to which is added a further complication, in both physical and perceptive terms, when it comes to the intervention on underground spaces. With respect to this sphere of action, recent experiences, conducted both in Italy and, more specifically, in the Neapolitan context, have proposed a differentiated panorama of solutions and strategies for the valorisation and improvement of the knowledge and use of these structures. Starting with the analysis of these experiments in terms of cultural approaches and operational outcomes, the contribution intends to present the results of an applied research work conducted by the authors in relation to the less-known hypogea of the Congrega dei Bianchi allo Spirito Santo in Naples. This precious and complex space, articulated on several levels, was carefully investigated in historical-evolutionary terms, surveyed with range-based methodology and then analysed in terms of specific constructional features and spatial relationship with the aggregate structures of the urban fabric. This was done to understand its peculiarities, investigate its criticalities and define possible scenarios for extending its use.