Does Pure Contemplation Belong to Architecture? The Denied Ramps at the Church of San Salvatore in the Santa Giulia Museum in Brescia

The paper addresses the issue of balancing the two values underlying the accessibility and conservation of cultural heritage: its use and its protection. These values are often, and wrongly, thought of as being in opposition to each other, or as incompatible. The reason for this contrast originates from the way of understanding ancient architecture and from the value of the relationship between architecture and people. This issue is faced by presenting a recent case concerning the Museum of Santa Giulia in Brescia, a multi-layered complex that preserves evidence ranging from the prehistoric age to the contemporary age, housed in a monastic complex of Longobard origin. The recent failure to build some ramps proposed to increase the usability of the church of San Salvatore, an integral part of the museum itinerary, offers the opportunity to reflect on the need for better integration between different instances that are only apparently opposed. The topic is dealt with by referring to the most recent disciplinary reflections in the field of conservation carried out in Italy with respect to the issue of accessibility of cultural heritage, without neglecting the juridical-normative aspects and international documents, such as the Faro Convention. This multidisciplinary reading aims to highlight the main meanings that the possibility of accessing cultural heritage assumes, also with reference to the objectives of sustainable development and the human development of the individual and the reference community.