This article originated as an exploration between the ephemeral and eternal, the discovery of architecture as a display of permanence with reflections of change, and made me contemplate about sources of inspiration it had. It was, of course, about the Alps last February, right after the start of the war in Ukraine, that seemed the traitors in their unchangingness in that shaken by the events Europe, and the ancient architecture Italy had to offer. It made me think, that, no matter the events, wars, pandemics and calamities – architecture and nature remain and observe the world, making us at times negligible as individuals, sand particles next to the ocean of time.
A building is, especially when it comes to ancient Roman architecture, indifferent to the changes, unless directly affected by those. Still, it embraces the change in its permanence, encompasses history in all its vectors, to eventually tell a story that says: hey, I am a constant variable – I shall remain unless the world around me touches my walls; however, I reflect the changes, and show the nature of the times I was built in. Buildings keep the bullets in their walls or the remnants of bomb attacks, they stay for as long as they can persist – unless, as today happening in Ukraine, directly destroyed by missiles. While, indeed, the architecture possesses both permanence and transience, it was not the only inspiration for the article – seeing the Alps and being impressed by their silence. Besides, it was Naples that once again convinced me – in a world that is continuously changing, everything is a variable, and Naples, as a bright example of chaos and movement, is full of those. Nevertheless, as soon as you get into one of the Neapolitan courtyards you might discover its ancient specialties, such as the described later San Carminiello ai Mannesi, or, perhaps, famous Neapolitan staircases, as shown by the example of San Felice Palace. It shows that, once again, while we are, both small and large scale, constantly facing (at times heartbreaking) changes, the permanence is there, in architecture, as we are still following Vitruvius's rules when taking design decisions. Therefore, both architecture as a matter, and in this specific case the story of Naples as a whole, are constant variables, saying: the most constant thing in the world is change (and nature with architecture, of course).