Castles in southern Italy, diagnostic plan for knowledge and the enhancement

[EN] In the south of Calabria in Italy, along the Tyrrhenian coast, lie fortifications of great historical and architectural importance which all enjoy strategic positions owing to their landscapes and wide view of the sea. Over time, such a peculiarity, which was originally the result of the need to defend the territory from foreign raids from the sea, has become a feature favouring tourist attractiveness. Worth mentioning are Sant’Aniceto fortress, the Castle of Fiumefreddo, the Castle of Cleto, and the Castle of Belvedere, which enshrine historical legacies of the Calabrian fortification system. The study examines such architectural examples focusing not only on their historical and architectural dimension, but also on the types of construction, on the materials and on the current state of conservation of the castles concerned. Therefore, a particular diagnostic plan was developed for each building, which started from the environmental contextualization, reconstructed the anamnesis and, finally, examined constituent materials and their level of deterioration. The results of a laboratory analysis, which was carried out on micro-samples of material taken noninvasively, are shown with reference to a few representative elements.Gattuso, C.; Gattuso, P.; Bencardino, E.; Caramazza, V. (2015). Castles in southern Italy, diagnostic plan for knowledge and the enhancement. En Defensive architecture of the mediterranean: XV to XVIII centuries. Vol. I. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 143-150. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2015.2015.1734OCS14315

Memory and knowledge. The castle of Belmonte in Calabria

[EN] A small A small village located in Italy on the Calabrian Tyrrhenian coast, Belmonte Calabro has its historic center with a typical medieval urban structure that has remained almost unchanged over the centuries and is characterized by the presence of the ruins of a castle and its surrounding environments whose. The planimetry succeeds to be identified because it is bordered by a wall, only partially preserved, pronounced by towers and marked by a road that, in its main points still existing, follows its development. The castle, built on the hill’s top of a tuff nature, in an elevated position respect to the urban core, had a plan with a roughly quadrangular shape with four imposing square towers. Of particular note is its curtain wall that originally had four doors, which opened in correspondence at the four cardinal points. In addition to having suffered several collapses in many parts of its structure due to the various earthquakes that occurred over time, as well as various looting and the siege by the French artillery dating back to the early 1800s, the castle is currently subjected to degrading actions due to the attack of biological type, which manifests itself with a widespread presence of patinas, as well as those due to a thick weed vegetation that affects many of the surfaces of its structure. The study aims to provide a useful contribution to reconstructing the profile of the original structure of the ancient castle. To obtain, therefore, more information about it, a specific survey plan was developed to characterize its constituent materials and also its state of preservation. To this end, in correspondence of structural parts still intact, samples were collected that were analyzed and characterized in the laboratory by Raman Spectroscopy.Gattuso, C.; Castriota, M.; Gattuso, P.; Saggio, F. (2020). Memoria e conoscenza. Il castello di Belmonte in Calabria. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1193-1200. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2020.2020.11486OCS1193120

Knowledge and material analysis for conservation actions related to the Maida castle in Calabria (Italy)

[EN] The Maida castle is located in a hill site in historical center of the Maida City, facing two sea gulfs: Squillace gulf on the east side and Sant’Eufemia gulf on the west side. The position is strategic moreover because the castle is located in the center of Calabria between the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian Seas. Hidden in an inner area, the castle was erected on a rock which has a wide perspective view, giving the ability to control a stretch of territory between the two coasts and allowing to make an easier defense. Although today the fortress appears mainly as a ruin, it is still possible to distinguish one of the quadrangular towers as used as district prison, some inaccessible underground spaces and part of the walls. The state of degradation is evident, caused by the time action and, unfortunately, by inadequate maintenance activity. Most of the external surfaces have evident signs of deterioration, caused by bad weather conditions, but above all by weed vegetation. To better understand the role of the factors as biological aggression, a study has been carried out focusing on most common and widespread biological degradation present on the external surfaces of the castle. Samples of biological materials were taken and examined in the laboratory in order to acquire useful information about the state of the monument. This knowledge is necessary because it provides a first picture of the main causes of degradation of the castle and useful information for developing more aware and respectful restorations of its identity.Gattuso, C.; Palermo, A.; Castagnaro, I.; Ruberto, F. (2020). Conoscenza e analisi dei materiali per la conservazione del castello di Maida in Calabria (Italia). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1201-1208. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2020.2020.11437OCS1201120

Diagnostics for the knowledge: the case of the tower of Palazzo Termine Pietragliata in Palermo (Italy)

[EN] Developing a methodological approach is crucial to assess the state of conservation of a monument, starting from the overall analysis, progressively moving from small to medium scale and reaching the grand scale at the end. Considering the territory, causes are investigated in order to understand the propensities, as well as considering a single monument, evidences are carefully read to assess the overall conditions, that will be lately detailed by the analysis on materials and their degradation. The object of this study is the tower of the Palazzo Pietragliata in Palermo, one of the most important examples of the late Gothic civil architecture in Sicily. The Palace, built in 1473 by Prince of Baucina, possesses an imposing crenellated tower, whose two levels are connected by an original internal staircase “cargol” like, an extraordinary example of the influence of Catalan Gothic architecture in Sicily. Some micro samples were taken from the tower structure, made entirely of blocks of biocalcarenite, on which diagnostic investigations were performed in the laboratory. In the context of a more comprehensive interdisciplinary study, this paper illustrates the specific results of the micro analysis conducted in the laboratory and particularly those made through the use of the SEM and biological investigations, also paying attention to the pathologies detected on the battlements of the tower. These forms of decay, for their variety, represent a significant example that allows to properly illustrate the adopted study method.Gattuso, C.; Fernandez, F.; Pecoraro, MM.; Palermo, AM. (2015). Diagnostics for the knowledge: the case of the tower of Palazzo Termine Pietragliata in Palermo (Italy). En Defensive architecture of the mediterranean: XV to XVIII centuries. Vol. I. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 389-396. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2015.2015.1760OCS38939

An advanced diagnostic plan to enhance the ruins of the Castle “della Valle” in Fiumefreddo Bruzio, Calabria, Italy

Though only ruins remain of the Castle “della Valle” (IT), situated in the municipality of Fiumefreddo Bruzio in Calabria, a region in the south of Italy, it is however possible to reconstruct the original plant. The ruins are strongly attractive because they are in a scenic position on a spur overlooking the south-eastern side of Fiumefreddo Bruzio, which lies on the Tyrrhenian coast. This study underlines the need to adopt an advanced diagnostic plan that allows acquiring knowledge on the castle through contributions from different fields of expertise. The study of the ruins was interdisciplinary and entailed the analysis of its environmental and territorial context, a phase of anamnesis, and, finally, a phase of diagnosis. The last-mentioned phase included the analysis of the constituent materials of the castle which, in this study, is described, by way of example, as the laboratory characterization of a representative sample. Since all the information gathered allows for better knowledge of the castle, it has the final goal to lead to enhancement actions that are as suitable as possible

Methodological procedures to enhance Cosenza Castle, Italy

The strategic position of Cosenza Castle in Calabria, a region in the south of Italy, as well as its decent state of conservation and some restauration work, allowed reorganizing the spaces to ensure better fruition. Moreover, better accessibility favoured the development of tourist flows attracted by history and by the panoramic views of the surrounding area. In order to provide further attractive factors able to raise the interest in the castle, the study aimed to support its enhancement. To that purpose, a suitable methodological procedure was defined to acquire new knowledge, in particular about the structures and the constituent materials of the masonries still in a state of degradation. Specifically, during investigations and surveys conducted to evaluate the potentials of the whole complex, various areas of interest were detected. In particular, a significant clearly stratified area could be easily noticed due to its evident degradation. Therefore, the study focused on this area to obtain information concerning the process of stratification of the materials that had occurred over time, and to provide new knowledge inputs to use as a starting point for further research

The Belvedere Marittimo Castle in Calabria - Italia: materials and biological degradation

Sed ut The Belvedere Marittimo Castle in Calabria (IT), it is on a promontory that leans out the coast and it overhangs the historical nucleus to which it belongs and has a significant visual impact that makes it unique and attractive. To this contributes also the charm due to its architectural structure characterized by the presence of two towers, but also for diffused presence of present vegetation on its surfaces that evoke the sense of the history and of the antiquity. However the castle for its strategic position and for being very near the sea, undergoes degradation actions due to marine aerosol and for the humidity that determines the ideal conditions for the initiation of biological attack processes whose effects are evident on many of the surfaces the monument. These conditions have led to the development of a study for evaluate the effects of biological degradation on the walls of the castle through the analysis of the species more present and of the constitutive materials

An advanced diagnostic plan applied to a significant national monument: the Royal Palace in Naples

To achieve adequate restoration project, the phase of choice the type of intervention it's a very delicate step that necessarily involves a thorough understanding of the asset in all its aspects, such as the location, the history, the architecture, the state of preservation, the signs of deterioration, the materials analysis and their degradation. The set of all that it's possible investigate on a product (cultural), the obtaining of important informations for subsequent maintenance actions, the conservation and/or restoration, is what is called a diagnostic plan. The significance of this work reside to consider a monument of national importance, the Royal Palace in Naples, on which apply a diagnostic plan. The science is an useful completion of the diagnostic field and this is why it's flanked now in this study; it provides in situ observations and laboratory measurements using advanced microscopic technologies (Scanning Electron Microscopy SEM/EDS for morphological and chemical studies at micrometric scale) on samples taken directly near the Palace. The final results have allowed the creation of a series of analytical cards containing digital data required to detect future intervention actions

Caratterizzazione di elementi fittili cavi chiusi utilizzati nella costruzione della Chiesa del la Madonna del Pettoruto a Lattarico in Calabria

La Chiesa dedicata alla Madonna del Pettoruto a Lattarico in Calabria, ridotta ormai in ruderi, è caratterizzata dalla presenza diffusa nella struttura muraria di un peculiare elemento costruttivo, un laterizio cavo chiuso,  noto per le sue caratteristiche di leggerezza e omogeneità localmente denominato “Carusello”. Per acquisire informazioni su tali elementi sono stati analizzati alcuni frammenti di essi prelevati dalle pareti interne della Chiesa, è stato inoltre prelavato ed analizzato un campione di malta utilizzata per il loro assemblaggio. I campioni, portati in laboratorio, sono stati sottoposti a due tipologie di analisi, una prima, effettuata con l’utilizzo del microscopio ottico da petrografia, mediante il quale sono state osservate le sezioni sottili ricavate dai detti campioni ed una seconda diretta ad esaminarne la morfologia attraverso l’utilizzo del Microscopio Elettronico a Scansione (SEM) che ha fornito inoltre una analisi chimica puntuale con riferimento a aree significative dei campioni in esame

Scientific investigation on Pompei's plaster to characterize the painting technique, the remaking and the protection or restoration layers

The multidisciplinary pathway necessary to reconstruct all aspects for a possible approach to historical, artistic and architectural artifact, must create appropriate synergies in order to allow appropriate coordination, correct and integrated, of all various information coming from different areas of expertise, used anyway to define the precise state of preservation of the artifact concerned. To allow greater understanding of the work, the use of tools and techniques commonly used by the restorer and lab technician, facilitate the exchange of information and interpretation of the data collected, helping the interpretation of historical and scientific data according to their experiences and technical expertise. According to the above, it's therefore proposed a study aimed at diagnostic understanding of a work of Pompeian style, not yet investigated. The scientific investigations used, refers specifically to the painting materials and their stratigraphic articulations, related to the painting technique, the remakes, the layers of protection or restoration performed during its lifetime, as well as the alterations due to several factors, both environmental, both resulting from conservative practices. The data collected are of notable importance because, besides contributing to the identity work reconstruction, give new information on the procedures carried out by the culture of the time, to protect their cultural heritage