"When it comes to one of the most recurrent and debated topics of the architectural culture of the second half of the 20th century – i.e. the relationship between architecture and the city and its history – D'Olivo appears detached, not involved. It's almost as if he looks for professional opportunities only outside urban contexts, in non-historical settings or unbuilt territories, possibly still untouched.”

In 2002, a major retrospective on the work of Marcello D'Olivo (1921-1991) was organized at the San Francesco Church in Udine, his hometown. Ferruccio Luppi, curator of the architectural section of the exhibition (along with Francesco Borella) and its catalogue (along with Paolo Nicoloso), used these words to highlight one of the main distinctive traits that made D’Olivo stand out in the Italian scene. The geography and the distinctive features of the territory represent the essenti