Riabitare gli edifici sacri tra diritto canonico, conservazione e innovazione. Le trasformazioni del complesso di San Benedetto a Salerno e le strategie di riuso

The problem of abandoned sacred buildings is subject of debate by many categories of experts – architects, sociologists, religious, histori- ans, etc. – who care about the future of the ancient architectural arti- facts, testimonies of popular devotions and references of whole terri- tories as well as constructive and decorative techniques, far from the present. The re-use of sacred buildings, an expression with which it is intended to designate the possibility of assigning a sacred place to another function, once its original destination has ceased, constitutes a phenomenon of particular interest from the juridical and the artis- tic-architectural point of view. A new non sordidum function, compati- ble with the historical, structural, architectural and urban levels, is cer- tainly the most difficult challenge in the transformation project. This contribution investigates the problem of the re-use of sacred buildings, through the reading of the Code of Canon Law and the requests of the conservation and protection of sacred buildings, through the case study of the San Benedetto convent in Salerno, son of many transformations during the centuries.