El castillo Angevino-Aragones de Gaeta en los dibujos de Leonardo Paterna Baldizzi

Focus of the contribution is a particular moment of the monumental complex of the Angevin-Aragonese castle in Gaeta, in Southern Lazio (Italy). The structure consists of two imposing buildings, communicating with each other, built in different eras; first by the Angevins and then by the Aragonese kings. The complex then constituted the extreme bulwark of a more articulated defensive system, built by Emperor Charles V (1500-1558), which made the city of Gaeta one of the most equipped strong-squares in Europe. In particular, the study describes the survey operations carried out, at the beginning of the 20th century, by the architect-engineer Leonardo Paterna Baldizzi (1868-1942), on behalf of the Regional Office for the conservation of monuments in the Southern provinces of Italy The survey of the monument, even in general, gives us suggestive drawings that testify to a recurring modus operandi in the operations of analysis of the monuments for the purpose of their protection. The drawings are part of the documentary fund of Paterna Baldizzi, preserved in the library of the “Accademia dei Lincei e Corsiniana” in Rome. Paterna Baldizzi, who was skilled at drawing, has transcribed in his "Diaries" all his professional and academic life, leaving us a very rich graphic testimony on countless and important monuments, object of his study and investigation. The contribution also describes the activity of Paterna Baldizzi, a particularly interesting and active figure in the initial moment of protection and conservation of Architectural Heritage.