Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi Rebuts Vittorio Sgarbi on Palazzo dei Diamanti Extension

Architecture critic Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi has defended the Labics-designed extension of Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara against Vittorio Sgarbi's objections. Puglisi contends that the development, aimed at revitalizing a deteriorated rear section, enhances the monument's utility by replacing an unsafe plastic-covered walkway. He criticizes Sgarbi for obstructing a collaborative effort that led to a public design competition, thereby squandering time and taxpayer money. Sgarbi had previously enumerated a host of cultural figures—including Andrea and Vittorio Emiliani, Arturo Carlo Quintavalle, and Mario Botta—who oppose the extension, claiming it jeopardizes the monument's integrity. Puglisi refutes these claims, asserting that the new addition is separate from the palace and addresses existing decay, underscoring the clash between preservationists and modernization supporters in Italy's architectural landscape.