Istruzioni per il riuso

The paper explores the evolution of the concept of reuse (spolia) in art and architecture from antiquity to modernity. Beginning with early ideological and aesthetic interpretations by L’Orange and Deichmann, the essay traces how scholars such as Esch, Settis, and Brilliant expanded the discourse, distinguishing between material (spolia in se) and formal (spolia in re) reuse. Liverani critiques theoretical ambiguities and proposes a refined interpretative framework connecting archaeological, historical, and semiotic approaches. Integrating Ricoeur’s notion of “appropriation”, he highlights the dynamic relationship between distance, memory, and identity, viewing reuse not as a mere recycling of forms but as a process of cultural reinterpretation that reshapes both object and context over time.