Paolo Portoghesi: Architect, Networker, and Controversial Figure of Italian Postmodernism

Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi offers a nuanced reassessment of Paolo Portoghesi, acknowledging his flaws while highlighting his role in building Italian architectural culture. Portoghesi, born in 1931, was a key figure in postmodernism, known for his Baroque references and collaborations with engineer Vittorio Gigliotti. His early works, like Casa Baldi (1959-61), blended kitsch and neo-Liberty styles. Later projects, including the Mosque of Rome (1974-1995) and Piazza San Silvestro, drew criticism for literal historicism and poor execution. Portoghesi had a fraught relationship with critic Bruno Zevi, who became his fiercest enemy after a planned co-authored book on Michelangelo and Borromini was never published. Portoghesi's political ties to Bettino Craxi's PSI made him the establishment architect of the "Italia da bere" era. Despite his architectural decline, Puglisi credits Portoghesi with founding the journal Controspazio in 1966, editing the Dizionario di Architettura e Urbanistica with contributors like Giulio Carlo Argan and Umberto Eco, and most importantly, curating the landmark 1980 Venice Architecture Biennale, "The Presence of the Past," which launched the Strada Novissima and gave international visibility to Italian architecture. Puglisi argues Portoghesi's generosity in building networks and promoting talent outweighs his architectural missteps, though his revivalist approach often crossed into nostalgia rather than contemporary innovation.