Renovating a House in the Historic Center: What You Need to Know

The historic center is one of the most evocative places in Italian cities. These locations tell the story of Italian history and culture. It is no coincidence that millions of tourists flock every year to the center of the most famous art cities of the Beautiful Country, in search of architectural masterpieces and works of art of inestimable value.

Renovating a House in the Historic Center: Personality while Remaining Faithful to History

Living in the historic center offers numerous advantages, spectacular views and social life, however it is not always simple. It is no coincidence that in recent years many have left the center of their hometown to move elsewhere. The living spaces of the historic center do not always meet the most practical needs of contemporary life and renovating a property to make it more modern and functional often proves complex and costly. However, taking advantage of the tax deductions currently available, renovating a house in the historic center is worthwhile. Let us see together how to renovate buildings of this type, best combining past, present and also future. A house in the historic center is a property that requires a prestigious renovation, a place to enhance and personalize while remaining faithful to the history and identity of the location.

The Main Architectural Characteristics of Period Houses

Generally, historic buildings are characterized by very high ceilings and imposing and thick walls. These elements can represent disadvantages, but also advantages, if adequately enhanced. High ceilings can be very evocative and functional. Rooms extended in height allow for the creation of comfortable mezzanines, ideal for a bedroom, for a raised sitting room or for a study.
Ancient walls are much thicker than contemporary walls and can be problematic when it comes to performing small interventions on the walls to allow the passage of cables. However, they generally allow excellent thermal and acoustic insulation of the house.

Before Renovating a House in the Historic Center

When deciding to renovate a house in the historic center, considerations of different kinds must be made:

1. Does the property require structural consolidation work?
2. Is the building subject to restrictions by the Superintendency?
3. In addition to renovation, are restoration works of frescoes, artifacts, or period finishes also planned?

Answering these questions is not always simple. Evaluations of this type are in fact the responsibility of technicians who know in detail the structures, the bureaucracy and the restrictions by the Superintendency for Architectural and Landscape Heritage. The regulations vary from municipality to municipality, it is therefore necessary to necessarily consult with local regulations, in order to understand as soon as possible within which restrictions the renovation intervention would fall. For this reason, before starting any work, it is important to immediately contact an expert for an accurate inspection.

Renovating a House in the Historic Center

There are different approaches to renovating a house in the historic center. The building can be renovated according to a very accurate “philological” approach, which provides for a faithful reproduction of the original appearance of the structure, using when possible the same materials, imitating the most ancient construction techniques. However, this is not the only solution. You can also focus on a refined combination between ancient elements and more modern elements, remaining faithful to the original architecture, with the addition of very refined contemporary details. For example, it could be very evocative to create a contrast by associating ancient elements such as wooden beams and frescoes with materials of contemporary aesthetics such as glass and metal.

Energy Efficiency of a House in the Historic Center

The 50% Ecobonus represents an excellent opportunity for those who want to implement the energy efficiency of their home, it is one of the most important tax deductions of 2022. Improving the energy class of a building in the historic center is a need for many. Houses built several years ago, in fact, almost all fall into energy class G, the lowest. This implies high energy consumption and, consequently, very expensive bills. However, energy efficiency interventions on historic properties are extremely complex. For example, one of the most widespread and effective interventions for energy efficiency is to install thermal insulation on the external facade of buildings. This type of operation is not possible on a historic building because it would alter the original facade. One would therefore have to opt for internal thermal insulation, when possible. The Superintendency for Architectural and Landscape Heritage, however, could also restrict internal interventions. Furthermore, the installation of photovoltaic panels is prohibited on buildings of historic interest. It is therefore necessary to take into consideration many variables, making specific evaluations on a case-by-case basis together with a specialized technician.

Transforming a House in the Historic Center

A house in the historic center today can be intended for different purposes than those of origin. Evocative places like these are increasingly being transformed into accommodation facilities, for example, into bed and breakfasts, even luxury ones. In this regard, it is important to study the renovation in every detail, to create a unique environment that will surely remain in the memories of visitors. It can also be very interesting to create “instagrammable” corners, so that the customers themselves share views and details of the house on social media. To learn more, immediately request professional consultation from an expert at Domidea Architecture Studio.