In memoriam: Giorgio Croci

- Created: 22 April 2021

ICOMOS mourns the passing of Professor Giorgio Croci – the two ICOMOS Committee he was mostly active in – ISCARSAH (the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on the Analysis and Restoration of Structures of Architectural Heritage) and ICOMOS Italy remember him below.

A great human has left us. ISCARSAH members would like to express our sadness at the death of Professor Engineer Giorgio Croci, one of the greatest structural engineers of our time. ICOMOS and ISCARSAH have lost a leading specialist and tireless actor in the field of structural survey and conservation of historic structures. We would also like to express our condolences to his wife, Milena, son, Federico and other family and friends at this difficult time.

Giorgio Croci was born in Rome in 1936 and passed away there on 16 April 2021 at the age of 85. He graduated in Civil Engineering from La Sapienza in 1960 and by 1995 was full Professor and Chair of structural problems of monuments and historical buildings at the Faculty of Engineering at the same university. He became well known internationally as the author of the reconstruction of the Basilica of Assisi following the 1997 earthquake and repatriation of the Stele of Axum to Ethiopia in 2005. His works are many and include the Pantheon, Colosseum, Tower of Pisa, the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, the Villa Medici, and the Palatine Palace.

He had a long and fruitful collaboration in the safeguarding of World Heritage sites through UNESCO including membership in The International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor and the International Committee of Experts on the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem. He published numerous books and peer reviewed articles sharing his wisdom. In 2000 he was awarded the Silver Medal by the Académie d’Architecture in Paris in recognition of these contributions.

From 1996 to 2005 he was the first President of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on the Analysis and Restoration of Structures of Architectural Heritage (ISCARSAH) of which he was later made Honorary President. To ICOMOS this was his greatest contribution to our field – he was the principal author of the ICOMOS Charter - Principles for the Analysis, Conservation and Structural Restoration of Architectural Heritage (2003). Those of us who worked with him on the Principles hold him in great admiration for he was brilliant, influential, a great leader, and effective mentor. Those of us who were not acquainted with him were also influenced by his works whether knowingly or not. He had deep insight and understanding on the technical study and conservation of heritage structures, and he elevated these insights into an art as part of an interdisciplinary collaborative approach that thoroughly recognizes the values of cultural heritage. The legacy that he lovingly, intelligently, and generously built during his entire life will always be remembered by those whom he touched, especially the younger generation whom he mentored and carefully ushered into the field of structural conservation of heritage structures, and who will benefit from his example and writings far into the future.

ISCARSAH members will always fondly remember Professor Giorgio Croci for his professionalism, integrity, generosity, and cooperative spirit. He was always very friendly and helpful, his hospitality was wonderful when he and Milena opened their apartment to us, and his affection for his family was clearly noticeable. It was a privilege to have been able to work with him as it was through him that we have made friends around the globe who share a mutual interest.

The members of ICOMOS – ISCARSAH

Dear Members of ICOMOS,

With great sadness we inform you that prof. Giorgio Croci passed away on 16th April 2021.

Emeritus President of ICOMOS-ISCARSAH, Emeritus Professor at the "La Sapienza" University, he contributed to the development of innovative theories and analyses for the diagnostics and preservation of monuments.

Among his most significant projects: the Basilica of San Francesco di Assisi (restoration and consolidation interventions after the serious damage and partial collapse due to the 1997 earthquake); the Tower of Pisa (planning of the interventions for the stabilization of the Tower); the Colosseum (studies and research relating to seismic behaviour); the Palatine Hill in Rome (preventive study of the state of conservation with identification of the various risk situations); the Topkapi Complex in Istanbul (restoration and seismic protection project), and the Konarack Temple in India (structural reinforcement project).

Prof. Croci also intervened in investigations for the Pantheon in Rome and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and was also the architect of the disassembly of the Stele of Axum brought to Rome at the behest of Benito Mussolini to celebrate the conquest of Ethiopia and in 1935 located next to the FAO headquarters. In 2003 the obelisk was dismantled under the direction of the Prof. Croci who had won the international tender announced by UNESCO and subsequently relocated to the sacred area of Axum according to international agreements.

Prof. Croci has been awarded several prizes and awards from national and international institutions for his contribution to the preservation of the world's architectural heritage. He was awarded the Gold Medal to the Meritorious of School, Culture and Art, conferred by the President of the Italian Republic.

The President of ICOMOS Italy
Eng. Arch. Maurizio Di Stefano

Photograph credit n°2: Recovered fine chips from the earthquake collapse that shattered the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi © Randolph Langenbach

See also:

Read the obituaries from UNESCO