The construction of a monument. Palazzo Te in Mantua

This paper is centred upon the subject of the construction of the monument, and investigates the case study of Palazzo Te in Mantua. It addresses two main issues: the idea of monument, the concept attributed to it that today intertwines with the problem of valorisation of cultural and architectural heritage; and its construction, as both an architectural and critical process, two elements that together shape the image of the monument. From its construction on Giulio Romano's design around 1525, until today, Palazzo Te has been the object of numerous designs, restorations and interpretations. The paper would like to explore the process that has led to the acknowledgement of Palazzo Te as a monument and built heritage, arguing its layered history of critical interpretations as a feature to be valorised in the work of preservation and transmission of the heritage of Mantua over time, as suggested by the peculiarity of the city within the UNESCO World Heritage List program. Palazzo Te constitutes a case study to suggest revisiting the concept of heritage, going beyond the immediate evidence of the built architecture, by including the intangible and cultural legacy it comprises, that adds information and value by interpreting the transformation of the architecture itself.