The Archaic Fountain of Agrigento. Results of a New Analysis on the Structures

Abstract

This paper aims to provide the first results of a new autoptical analysis on the structures of the archaic fountain in Akragas (Agrigento), known as "Santuario rupestre of S. Biagio". The monumental complex, located just outside the city-walls, on the north-eastern slopes of the Rupe Atenea, behind a rock face in which an anthropic cave system has been developed, is made up mainly of two parts: the building of the western basins and, forehead to the east, a fenced yard. After the first investigations on the fountain directed by Pirro Marconi in 1926, while in 1932 Giuseppe Cultrera unearthed the whole monumental complex. Since the discovery, the monument was subjected to several restoration works, some of which quite invasive. As a first effect, these operations determined not only a difficult reading of the architectural structure in its landscape, but also, and above all, the worsening of the preservation status due to static system alterations. The critical conditions of the monument led to a new safety operation works in 2012, for which the Polytechnic of Bari supervised the methodological process of the disassembly process and de-restoration. On this occasion a new analysis on the structures has been done, in order to define the architectural configuration during the monument's life phases and to retrace the natural and artificial processes that affected the site since its foundation. In this paper two issues of the research will be considered, according with proceedings and methods followed during the search: - The historical and architectural study: new acquisitions (by A. Fino); - History of monument restorations: causes and implications (by V. Santoro).