Restaurarea monumentelor istorice. Concepte, Teorii, Practici

Abstract

”Lucian-Cristian Ratoiu’s book is not a restoration manual nor a compendium of the wide range of techniques that a correct intervention on historic monuments may involve. It is a critical reflection on the concepts, theories, and practices that have shaped the heritage phenomenon over time and continue to define it today. It represents a substantial contribution to the theory of conservation and restoration of historic monuments.

As the field is in a constant state of change, its periodic reassessment is not only timely but necessary in the ongoing effort to identify, understand, and rationalize its ever-evolving stages. By combining a critical reading of reference works with a thorough investigation of current field realities, the book succeeds in capturing defining aspects of the heritage phenomenon today.

The correct restoration of historic monuments, as a guarantee of their preservation, is inconceivable without a committed effort to maintain control over the continuous transformation of their physical existence, so that their essence remains unchanged. This work is a valuable theoretical instrument for understanding the processual nature of the heritage phenomenon and a guide for the proper application of best practice principles in the conservation and restoration of historic monuments.”

Kázmér Kovács

Born in Buzău, Lucian-Cristian Ratoiu attended the “Margareta Sterian” Art High School in the same city, where his teachers included Florin Menzopol, Georgeta Hlihor, and Luminița Toader. He completed his bachelor’s studies (2004–2008) and later his master’s studies (2009–2011) at the Faculty of Art History and Theory, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art section, within the National University of Arts in Bucharest, where in both cycles he was coordinated by Prof. Univ. Dr. Dan Mohanu. Since 2009, he has worked as a researcher at the Center of Excellence for Restoration through Optoelectronic Techniques within the National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics – INOE 2000. Both individually and as co-author, he has published numerous articles in prestigious international journals and has participated in national and international conferences in the field. He completed his PhD studies at the Doctoral School of the National University of Arts in Bucharest (2014–2020) under the coordination of Prof. Univ. Dr. Ruxandra-Silvelia Demetrescu, with a thesis titled “Shifts in the Concept of the Historic Monument. The Evolution and Adaptation of Conservation-Restoration in Europe and in the Romanian Cultural Space.”