Notes
1 Where indicated thus in the footnotes: Michelucci (1980) and Belluzzi & Conforti (1986), all quotations are translated from Italian by myself with the assistance of Ilaria Sana.
2 Where indicated thus: Chaslin, F. (1991) quotations are translated by Abigail Brown. All other quotations which include an original Italian version in the footnotes are translated by myself.
3 Michelucci was championed by Bruno Zevi at the 1964 Conference on Expressionism in Florence accordingly.
4 "Architetto degli Uomini", a reference by Corrado Marcetti in conversation with the author at the Fondazione Michelucci, 18/09/98.
5 Giovanetti (1994) p.123. N.B. There is no single book written about in English about Michelucci but many references writtten in English have been taken from articles in periodicals: see Bibliography.
6 Belluzzi & Conforti (1986), a reference made by Conforti p.7.
7 As described by Gregotti (1968), p.8.
8 With Fascist gangs taking politics on to the streets attacking socialists, Mussolini convinced conservatives that he was a moderate whose dynamic government could crush the (supposedly) dangerous left and restore law and order.
9 "silenziosamente censurata", Belluzzi & Conforti (1986) p.7.
10 It must not be forgotten that Fascism was a tyranny and against a background of oppression and intolerance the regime sought to consolidate and legitimise its existence.
11 Ernesto Rogers, from the firm BBPR, whose partner Luigi Banfi died in a concentration camp during the war.
12 Etlin (1991) p.378.
13 Referred to in Conforti & Belluzzi (1986), p.13.
14 Two of the principal members of "Gruppo 7" were Giuseppe Terragni and Adalberto Libera. "Gruppo 7" then expanded in 1930 to form MIAR: the "Movement of Italian Rationalism", with Libera as secretary general.
15 Britt (ed.1995), p.39.
16 Zevi (1981), p.15.
17 Etlin (1991), p.385.
18 Referred to in Belluzzi & Conforti (1986), p.28.
19 Bruno Zevi wrote upon his death in 1960 an article entitled "Piacentini. Died in 1925" Referred to in Shapiro (1981), p.8.
20 Described in Etlin (1991) p. 323.
21 Michelucci, writing in the March issue of Domus 1932, referred to in Etlin (1991), p.305.
22 ibid. p.308.
23 ibid. p.301.
24 The "Gruppo Toscana" comprised of G. Michelucci, N. Baroni, P.N. Berardi, I. Gamberini, S. Guarnieri and L. Lusanna.
25 Michelucci, quoted in Etlin (1991) p.310.
26 A quote taken from "Dismay and Uncertainty around 1930", a text panel by Michelucci, displayed in the Centro di Studi Michelucci, Pistoia.
27 A significant group of Gerarchi: Mussolini's trusted allies led by Roberto Farinacci.
28 Etlin (1991) p.312.
29 Confirmed in a press release of the 10th June 1934. Britt (1995) p.123.
30 Dal Co (1991), p.105.
31 ibid., p.103.
32 As described in Chaslin, F. (1991), p.28.
33 "La piu razionale delle architettoniche e la piu bella e quella nella quale lo spirito riposa, ... non quella industrialmente perfetta, giacche questa perfezione e superata ogni giorno e quindi 'non perfezione'". Michelucci, quoted in Conforti & Belluzzi (1986), p.31.
34 Expositione Universale di Roma, or E'42 as it was also known.
35 The "Lictor" was the axe that symbolised the Fascist state. The term "Lictorial" was therefore an alias for "Fascist".
36 Britt (1995), p.125.
37 "possibilita dell'architettura moderna in Italia si chiudono", Zevi (1961), p.276.
38 Britt (1995) p.128.
39 Originally published in Casabella 157/1941, Britt (1995), p.42.
40 Referred to in Dal Co (1992), p.106.
41 Michelucci in interview. Lupano (1990), p.22.
42 Between 1941 and 1944, Michelucci worked on restructuring the tower and another family house, the "Casa Ventura", destroyed in August 1944 and re-designed by Michelucci in the 1950s.
43 An extract of the letter is contained in the Appendix.
44 Referred to in Michelucci (1981) p.35.
45 Giancarlo DeCarlo in interview published in Zucchi (1992), p. 2.
46 Michelucci quoted in Fondazione Michelucci (1988) p.9.
47 "testimonieranno della unità d'intendimenti di un popolo, di affermare senza equivoco la propria realtà la fiducia nella validità del proprio tempo", Michelucci writing in 1948, quoted in Michelucci (1981) p.30.
48 A view put forward by Francesco Dal Co in the introduction to: Dal Co (1997).
49 Tafuri (1989) p. 9. Casabella was silenced in 1943 and not revived until 1954.
50 Michelucci quoted in Fondazione Michelucci (1988) p.9
51 Tafuri (1989), p.28.
52 "nacse con l'urgenza e l'evidenza di un fatto vitale" Michelucci writing in 1948, quoted in Michelucci (1981) p.30.
53 Fondazione Michelucci (1990), p.15.
54 Dealba & Organschi (1992) p.207.
55 "unità organica. Intendo dire che la città non deve essere definita casa per casa, strada per strada, piazza per piazza, ma va intesa come entità entro cui i singoli momenti, le varie funzioni, gli edifici non sono più isolabili come singoli elementi, ma vanno inseriti in un vero e proprio sistema di relazioni". Michelucci (1981) p.35.
56 Zevi (1978), p.55.
57 Michelucci quoted in Fondazione Michelucci (1988) p.3.
58 "L'architettura deve nascere dalla vita, dalla osservazione del quotidiano, dai grandi processi storici così come dalle piccole cose che hanno a che fare con l'abitudine, la psicologia, le particolari circostanze fisiche naturali e sociali"...."realtà variabile che si adatta alle esigenze individuali e collettive e muta col mutare di queste." Michelucci (1981), p.36.
59 These journeys almost became rituals for Michelucci until his last days.
60 Michelucci in interview, Lupano (1990), p.22.
61 "volanta di imparare dalla natura", Portughesi (ed. 1991), p.18.
62 Dealba & Organschi (1992), p.207.
63 ibid., p.209.
64 Living with Nature 1989, Michelucci quoted in Fondazione Michelucci (1990), p.28.
65 Dealba & Organschi (1992), p.207.
66 Zevi quoted in Gregotti (1968), p.43.
67 Rykwert (1982), p.22.
68 Tafuri (1989), p.29.
69 "La Casa di Tutti". A quote by Michelucci mentioned by Leonardo Ricci in 1953, Belluzzi & Conforti (1986), p.116.
70 Tafuri (1989), p.30.
71 Referred to in Belluzzi & Conforti (1986), p.114.
72 Gregotti uses this term as opposed to "Neo-Realism" to avoid a confusion with the association of Neo-Realism in other arts. Gregotti (1968), p.47.
73 The same area that Michelucci studied and made proposals for between 1945 and 1947.
74 Michelucci from Felicità dell'Architetto, 1948, quoted in Ranzani (1991), p.42.
75 "Non credo tanto nella immaginazione quanto invece nella fantasia," Michelucci writing in 1948, quoted in Michelucci (1981), p.31.
76 Michelucci, from Felicità dell'Architetto, 1948, quoted in Ranzani (1991) p.43.
77 Maurice Cerasi quoted in Ranzani (1991), p.43.
78 "il gusto si modella sulla forma". Michelucci writing in 1948, quoted in Michelucci (1981), p.31.
79 As described by Ranzani (1991), p.43.
80 Dealba & Organschi (1992), p.119.
81 "La Genesi dell'opera". The terms Michelucci uses to describe his design process. Michelucci (1966), p.50.
82 An initial project by Lamberto Stoppa had been rejected in 1959 as too brutal a proposal.
83 Motorways were part of the 1954 Vanoni plan and represented the cultural triumph of post war modernisation.
84 "si misura sul senso della città intesa come unità organica". Michelucci (1981), p.36.
85 Michelucci quoted in Giacomini (1992), p.2.
86 Michelucci's notion of the "city" should be read as the people themselves constituting the city. Michelucci (1992), p.122.
87 The Council did however cause a schism in the Catholic church.
88 Witnessed firsthand at a mass I attended on 20/09/98. After the padre had concluded, the church came alive for a brief period as people dispersed. Some remained seated in contemplation, whilst others walked to the centre of the church and huddled in groups, a number formed a queue at the side altar and individuals ambled around the passages gazing upwardly. Half the congregation filtered back through the main entrance and the others around the shortcut. Outside people again got straight into their vehicles or grouped noisily to chat. Couples walked around the perimeter path while a steady queue of cars formed driving back under the bridge of the autostrada or along the road towards Sesto Fiorentina.
89 Michelucci quoted in Giacomini (1992), p.12.
90 On a visit to the church, Le Corbusier was impressed by these "suite d'éspaces". Bottura (1992), p.13.
91 Michelucci noted on a sketch in 1961: "La struttura e in continuo movimento." - "the structure is in continual movement." Bertoni (1991), p.120.
92 Tafuri (1989), p.29.
93 "all roads in Italy pass by monuments and works of art; no new Italian motorway could be otherwise." Ponti (1964), p.1.
94 Giacomini (1992), p.8.
95 Ludovico Quaroni, in RIBA (1978), p.9.
96 "l'unità dell'organismo stesso, usando elementi base comuni", Michelucci writing in 1948, Michelucci (1981), p.32.
97 "Qualcuno non riusciva. Nel senso che non conosceva il materiale e non sapeva come interpretarlo... Non sapeva che quella pietra si poteva schiantare con un martello e da quello schianto venivano fuori". Michelucci (1998), p. 61.
98 Described by Corrado Marcetti in Borsi (ed.1998), no page numbers given.
99 Referred to in Borsi (ed. 1998), no page numbers printed.
100 Note that Ronchamp was not the only possible precedent since Candela's hyperbolic paraboloid structures had been well published in the 1950s along with the work of Pier Luigi Nervi.
101 Michelucci was on good terms with Le Corbusier (a contemporary only four years his senior) who visited him once in Florence. Referred to in Lupano (1990), p.22.
102 "l'intellettuale che proponeva soluzioni intelligentissime, ma frutto di una costruzione cerebrale, che poi si sfaldava." Michelucci quoted in Bottura (1992), p.13.
103 Referred to in Belluzzi & Conforti (1987), p.27.
104 In particular Nikolaus Pevsner who had written "Pioneers of modern design", was puzzled by what he perceived to be a departure from the true way. Curtis (1992), p.178.
105 The Ministry of works approached Michelucci after his involvement with INA-Casa.
106 "Plastic" is a term used in particularl by Bruno Zevi . Zevi (1978).
107 Michelucci, quoted in Giacomini (1992) p.6.
108 A bible passage from Corinthians quoted in Giacomini (1992), p.12.
109 Through his journals ("Architettura, cronache e storia" and the "Espresso") Bruno Zevi helped make the church famous, believing it could reveal a new "Expressionist" direction to European architects, despite Michelucci's indifference to Expressionism.
110 Michelucci's last housing project. In Corrado Marcetti's view (in interview 20/09/98) he had become tired of the diminutive approach that it offered, preferring public buildings.
111 Michelucci originally published in La Nuova Città 1/6-7 1946, quoted in Fondazione Michelucci (1990), p.4.
112 Michelucci in interview, Dealba & Organschi (1992), p.121.
113 In a speech to a congress on steel date not given. Borsi (ed.1998), no page numbers listed.
114 "Un progetto non e per me una composizione astratta". Michelucci (1966), p.50.
115 Michelucci (1992), p.118.
116 Michelucci in interview, Lupano (1990), p.24.
117 Michelucci quoted in Borsi (ed.1998), no page numbers listed.
118 Michelucci, quoted in Giacomini (1992) p.6.
119 The term Neo-Liberty was one first recognised by Paolo Portughesi in 1958, Banham (1959) p.235.
120 Tafuri (1989), p.78.
121 The most famous was perhaps the church at Longarone (1966-78).
122 "J'aimerais les voir transformees, modifiees, que les choses soient provisoires". Michelucci quoted in Chaslin (1991), p.28.
123 E.g. Robert Venturi criticised the church for displaying a "wilful picturesqueness of the haphazard structure and spaces". Michelucci was however in many ways aiming to "embody the different unity of inclusion rather than the easy unity of exclusion" that Venturi argued for." After visiting the church Venturi added a note to the second edition: "I now realise it is an extremely beautiful and effective building". Venturi (1992), p.35.
124 RIBA (1978), p.9.
125 "Je n'aime pas mes oeuvres, meme si je suis sensible au jugement qu'y partent les autres, car je n'aime pas moi-meme." Michelucci quoted in Chaslin (1991), p.28.
126 RIBA (1978), p.9.