Abstract

There are two different ways in evaluating costs and benefits of a restoration project: the market analysis and the collective analysis. While both need to calculate whether maintenance expenditure would not be more useful (restoration always implies some alteration) the market analysis is mainly based on the subjective value that a restored cultural good provides to visitors or owners. The collective analysis, instead, is based on the value for future generations and for individuals who are not capable of understanding that conservation is important. The State is the agent of the community, but its role is forgotten if restoration is preferred to maintenance, as it happens each time capital expenditure is considered more important than current expenditure.