Gli impianti storici per l’utilizzo delle acque nei giardini delle ville medicee di Castello e Petraia: analisi, restauro e valorizzazione dell’archeologia degli acquedotti

The Medicean villas have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The gardens, the statues, the artificial caves, the historic landscape surrounding the villas, water resources, together with the architecture of the water, represent monumental and artistic values. This note describes the importance of archaeological and cultural heritage of the system of aqueducts of the historical villas of Petraia and Castle, at the base of the slopes of Monte Morello, on the outskirts of Florence. Some manufacts of the ancient acqueducts, their state of degradation, misuse of water supplies, are analyzed. In particular, in the general plans of development of these monumental sites, proposals for restoration and valorization of systems for the collection and distribution of water, to support reuse in the garden villas fountains, caves, suggestive games of water are analysed. The increasing of the hydrogeological resource, the setting-up of cultural itinerary of the acqueduct are important aspects of the future designs.

A fully customizable data management system for Built Cultural Heritage surveys through NDT

The diagnosis of Built Cultural Heritage using non-invasive methods is useful to deepen the understanding of building characteristics, assessing the state of conservation of materials, and monitoring over time the effectiveness of restoration interventions. Ultrasonic and sonic tests are Non-Destructive Techniques widely used to evaluate the consistency of historic masonry and stone elements and to identify on-site internal defects such as voids, detachments, fractures. These tests, in addition to being suitable for Cultural Heritage because they are non-invasive, provide a fundamental preliminary screening useful to better address further analysis. Ultrasonic and Sonic velocity tests performed on monuments involve a lot of different information obtained from many surveys. It is therefore important to optimize the amount of data collected both during documentation and diagnostic phase, making them easily accessible and meaningful for analysis and monitoring. In addition, investigations set-up should be following a standard methodology, repeatable over time, suitable for different types of artifacts, and prepared for comparison with other techniques. An integrated data management system is then also useful to support the decision-making processes behind maintenance actions. This work proposes the development of a complete management IT solution for the Ultrasonic and Sonic measurements of different types of masonry, and stone artifacts. The system consists of a browser-based collaboration and document management platform, a mobile/desktop application for data entry, and a data visualization and reporting tool. This set of tools enable the complete processing of data, from the on-site survey to their analysis and visualization. The proposed methodology allows the standardization of the data entry workflow, and it is scalable, so it can be adapted to different types of masonry and artifacts. Moreover, this system provides real-time verification of data, optimizes survey and analysis times, and reduces errors. The platform can be integrated with machine learning models, useful to gain insight from data. This solution, aimed to improve the approach to diagnostics of Cultural Heritage, has been successfully applied by the LAM Laboratory of the Department of Earth Sciences (University of Florence) on different case studies (e.g., ashlar, frescoed walls, plastered masonries, stone columns, coat-of-arms, etc.) belonging to many important monuments

Conservazione dell’architettura funeraria etrusca. Il caso dell’ipogeo di marciana scavato nel granito

The problematic nature of Etruscan funerary architecture conservation due to the peculiar environmental conditions consisting of underground positions with flows of visitors represents a typical aim of the archaeological restoration The study case should be considered as emblematic for the iconographic relevance of the gentilitial etruscan tomb, of late orientalizing or archaic age, and for the particular physical nature of the hypogeum which is entirely excavated in a granodiorite rockmass in the center of Marciana village (Isola d 'Elba). The documental uniqueness of the hypogeum, currently under final determination, and the exceptional nature of the environment of the ancient site as well as the necessary radical measures to safeguard and specific intervention of consolidation and restoration are described from multiple viewpoints. In addition to the aspects relating to the conservation problems, the cruciform plan chronology of this extraordinary hypogeum was taken in account

The Mortars of Florence Riverbanks: Raw Materials and Technologies of Lungarni Historical Masonry

The study of structural masonry joined to geohydrological hazards in cultural heritage represents a multidisciplinary theme, which requires consideration of several aspects, among them the characterization of the materials used. In this paper, a first complete chemical, minero-petrographic, and physico-mechanical characterization of core samples taken from the masonry of two Florence riverbanks (Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli and Lungarno delle Grazie) is performed in order to identify the raw materials, technologies, and state of conservation and to support the planning of maintenance and restoration interventions. The physico-mechanical characterization of the riverbanks allows their stability to be determined. Such investigations allow identification of the level of compactness and cohesion of masonry; this information is useful for planning emergency interventions and for supporting planned restoration activities. The results provide valid support for the design of riverbank safety projects, to mitigate the risk of their collapse and to decrease the flood risk in the historic center of Florence

Assessing weathering damage in Arenitic Rock using Non-Destructive Testing: the case study of the stone coats of arms of Palazzo Ricasoli in Florence

The conservation of architectural heritage often involves studying the effects of weathering on stone materials exposed to polluted environments with characteristics unfavorable to their preservation. The decay phenomena that occur in urban environments can lead to destructive effects on stone material, resulting in the need for specific analysis to assess the mechanical properties of these artifacts. In this study, we analyzed three stone coats of arms that decorate the facade of Palazzo Ricasoli in Florence using non-destructive diagnostic techniques (NDTs) to assess their degree of weathering. Palazzo Ricasoli is a historic Renaissance palace, located in the center of Florence, that features three stone coats of arms on its façade that are currently in critical condition, showing signs of very advanced degradation. The stone of which they are composed is a type of local sandstone rock commonly used in Florentine historical architecture. To investigate the properties of the material we used in situ techniques, such Sonic test and 3D scanning. The results obtained with these techniques were then compared with those obtained from laboratory analysis of micro-samples using methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and optical microscopy. Using NTDs we were able to gather data and insights on the mechanical properties of weathered rock used in historical buildings, obtaining crucial information that can be used to develop appropriate and detailed conservation strategies to ensure the long-term stability of these materials in their environmental conditions

PRELIMINARY MAPPING OF GLACIERS AND GLACIAL LANDFORMS OF MOUNT AĞRI DAĞI (ARARAT), EASTERN ANATOLIA - TURKEY

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Multi-analytical methodology to indagate the Pietraforte sandstone risk assessment

Pietraforte sandstone is one of the most important stone material used during Renaissance in Historic Center of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of its main uses as building material is rusticated block facades, a peculiar masonry technique typical of many historical Florentine palace (ie. Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Palazzo Strozzi, etc.). The characteristic color of Pietraforte, ranging from grey to yellow-ochreous, is a distinctive feature of the urban landscape of Florence. Stone rusticated blocks constitute elements with different overhangs which make them subject to decay phenomena due to weathering that, together with their intrinsic characteristics, can lead to detachment and loss of blocks (even of considerable size). The study of Pietraforte as a geoheritage with its morphological, mechanical, physical, mineralogical, and petrographic characterization is an important starting point to understand the possible evolution of decay processes. A multi-analytical characterization of this stone in several study cases allow the comparison of Florentine rusticated blocks used in different architectural registers (rough-hewn, smooth-faced and pillow rusticated), highlighting different behaviors of Pietraforte in distint architectural contexts. For example, convolute laminations and calcite veins (Pecchioni et al. 2007, Pecchioni et al. 2020), typical macroscopic characteristics of Pietraforte, show different behavior depending on the type of rusticated blocks. A multi-analytical methodology has been developed including sampling for physical, petrographic and mineralogical characterization and Non Destructive Techniques (NTD), using ultrasonic pulse velocity and sclerometric tests for mechanical behaviors (Salvatici et al. 2020, Centauro et al. 2022, Calandra et al. 2023). The main morphological features of Pietraforte from a geological point of view are investigated pondering each rusticated blocks as a rock mass and applied some methods of rock slope stability analysis. The study performed in this work aims to protect and preserve geoheritage stones finding a new and sustainable restoration and conservation approach for Pietraforte built Cultural Heritage weaknesses. Furthermore this multi analytical approach allow the diagnosis of the vulnerability of the stone material to detachments of scales, fragments and whole blocks that represent a damage to the monuments and a danger for people