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The antependia, realized in polychrome marbles during the Baroque period in two Christian churches of Apulia (Southern Italy), were on-site petrographically investigated by the naked eye to obtain information regarding the types of used rocks; the precision in the making of the marble tesserae was also assessed. Most of the polychrome marbles recognized were taken from buildings and monuments realized during the Roman imperial period; other marbles quarried during the Baroque period, mainly from Italian geological outcrops, were also identified. The precision in the execution of the tesserae is generally very high and depends not only on the skill of the marble worker but also on the lithotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares the safeguarding of monuments and immoveable works of art in Italy in the first years of World War II to the on-site protection undertaken in Ukraine during the Russian invasion and explores whether traditional or more innovative methods are being employed in Ukraine. Both the planning in advance of war and the implementation of protective measures amidst substantial obstacles are considered. The focus is placed on fixed works of art in churches and public statues. Special attention is given to the vulnerability of churches and their ornamentation during war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Il Capitale Culturale: Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage is the property of Il Capitale Culturale Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on the need to acknowledge Italy's colonial history and its consequences, particularly in the form of material traces such as street names, monuments, and buildings. It discusses the efforts to make colonial violence visible and how the use of the term "vandalism" to describe protests against colonial monuments undermines the political significance of these actions. The article also introduces the "Postcolonial Italy: Mapping Colonial Heritage" project which aims to document these colonial traces and stimulate public debate about Italy's colonial past.

Copyright of Il Capitale Culturale: Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage is the property of Il Capitale Culturale Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In recent years, the ENEA has introduced a novel methodology based on motion magnification (MM) into the Italian cultural heritage protection and monitoring field. It consists of a digital video signal processing technique able to amplify enormously the tiny movements recorded in conventional videos, while preserving the general topology of the acquired frames. Though the idea of such a methodology is not new, it has recently been provided with an efficient algorithm that makes possible a viable and low-cost magnification. Applications are extremely varied in almost every field of science and technology; however, we are interested in its application to the safeguarding of architectural heritage, a sector of the utmost importance for Italy. As ancient buildings can be extremely sensitive to even minimally invasive instrumentation, most common monitoring sensors can be replaced by contactless tools and methods, such as video-based techniques like MM. It offers many advantages: easy to use, contactless devices, virtual sensors, reusability of the videos, practicality, intuitive graphical results, quantitative analyses capability and low costs. These characteristics are well suited to the monitoring of large ancient monuments; on the other hand, historical sites have peculiarities of their own, requiring careful approaches, proper tools and trained personnel. Moreover, outdoor applications of MM present quite notable difficulties from a practical point of view, e.g., the dimensions of the studied objects, uncontrolled environmental conditions, spurious vibrations, lighting change/instability, etc. Here we give a general idea of the potential of MM and related issues, using some relevant in-the-field case studies in Italian heritage protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The built heritage in Italy holds enormous value for the community and cultural assets such as monuments and buildings, places of worship and fortifications, were often considered unrelated to their surroundings despite their great interest. Large towns, small villages and the countryside depend on each other and are in balance with each other, so all rural and cultural landscapes represent a rich heritage composed of various types of spaces characterised by great diversity. Case study is the Casina Spinelli located in the Calabricito forest, in the territory of the city of Acerra. The contribution attempts to demonstrate how the adoption of aerial survey methodologies and photometric restitution allow, through and with the help of historical research, an interesting and renewed tourist archive of the territorial heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has as its object the monument dedicated to the aviators De Pinedo and Ribeiro de Barros who crossed the Atlantic in 1927. We analyze the composition of the fascist project of Heróis da Travessia, seeking to understand the role of the myth of Rome in the construction of ties between the community of Italians in São Paulo and Italy during the Ventennio. Through the examination of Italian foreign policy, which promoted the crociere aeree as propaganda, and the iconographic analysis of its materiality, which mobilizes signs associated with the cult of romanity, we demonstrate that the monument is structured above all as a compliment to Mussolini's Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Loggia, Arquitectura & Restauración is the property of Universidad Politecnica de Valencia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper analyses the case of Bolzano as a border city situated between Italy and Austria that had to deal with the unresolved issue of “difficult history” and “difficult heritage” after World War II. A particular emphasis is placed on the fascist Victory Monument as a symbol of the antagonism between the Italian and German-speaking population of the city, and the exhibition “BZ ‘18-’45: One Monument, One City, Two Dictatorships” as an example of dealing with “difficult heritage”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Italica Wratislaviensia is the property of Wydawnictwo Adam Marszalek and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Rome, Ostia, and other cities of Italy in the imperial period the overwhelming majority of the grave monuments were set up by freed people. Since this predominance does not reflect demographic realities, we may infer that freedmen and freedwomen had strong incentives to set up funerary monuments. This article looks at their tombs from the perspective of freedwomen. How were they portrayed in the reliefs and inscriptions on their tombs? It will be argued that while most presented themselves according to the ideals of the Roman matrona, the respectably married citizen woman, some emphasized their profession as part of their social identity or were portrayed in the guise of female deities following the example of the empresses. Thus, the portraits and epitaphs of freedwomen show a greater diversity than those of freeborn women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The big earthquake of August 24, 2016 and subsequent major shocks severely damaged many historic villages in Central Italy and dramatically showed the intrinsic vulnerability of the diffused architectural heritage. The St. Agostino church is one of the collapsed historical buildings, being inside the epicentre village of Amatrice. During the long seismic earthquake swarm, progressively the church was damaged and monitored. This multidisciplinary study of the damage of the church includes correlations of all the data derived from three steps geomatics surveys (3D aerial and terrestrial models): the archival drawings and images documenting previous events distressing the building, the previous strengthening intervention, and finally the seismic site response analysis (from Amatrice's accelerometric station). Through a back analysis carried out by a finite elements model, it was possible to understand the seismic vulnerability of this historical building, in relation to the previous interventions and damage events. The proposed methodology, based on the interdisciplinary data analysis, provides useful information for the next strengthening projects of damaged historical monument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses a series of issues linked to the restauration and maintenance of archaeological structures consisting partly or entirely of earth layers and stratigraphic sections. Taking recent maintenance work on the theatre of the ancient Greek colony of Velia, southern Italy, as a starting point, the author explores the role of public accessibility for the conservation and perception of archaeological remains and monuments. With regard to ancient theatres, the multisensorial perception of archaeological structures and spaces is highlighted, particularly with regard to acoustics. The paper concludes by advocating an enlarged and inclusive conceptualization of monuments and landscapes in the field of archaeological restauration and conservation that pays attention to the visual, acoustic, and kinetic experience of archaeological sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín Académico: Journal of Research & Contemporary Architecture / Revista de Investigación y Architectura Contemporánea is the property of Boletin Academico: Revista de Investigacion y Architectura Contemporanea and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Red jasper is a sedimentary rock composed of siliceous skeletons of unicellular (radiolar)marine micro-organisms. The working of the statue was almost a battle between jasper and quartzbecause they have about the same hardness, around 7 on the Mohs scale (See Figure 3). I was inspired by statue number five, which represents a child with no apparent gender,which was positioned between two statues representing adults. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the South Etruria Survey, an archaeological survey conducted between 1955 and 1975 that covered 1,000 square kilometers of land in Rome and recorded over 2,000 sites. The survey produced 7,000 photographs, which are considered invaluable for studying lost monuments, changes in landscapes over time, and the methods used in the survey. The author of the article used these photographs as primary case studies for their PhD research, exploring their entanglement with intellectual ideas and their role in the preservation of archaeological and cultural heritage. The article also discusses the historical and cultural contexts that influenced the survey and the treatment of antiquity in Italy during the post-war period. [Extracted from the article]

The work is an analysis of the recording, processing and presentation of the 3D data of two late roman towers inside the area of the Archaeological Museum of Milan, part of the city previously occupied by the Monastery of St. Maurizio and rich of historical and ancient monuments. The aim of this research is to examine the possibilities offered by digital technologies to record and enhance the archaeological heritage and to increase the divulgence and presentation with interactive products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the generative process of building information modeling (BIM) digital models oriented to the digitisation of heritage buildings has been supported by the development of new modeling tools, able to integrate the point cloud data produced by laser scanning and digital photogrammetry in major modeling software applications such as Autodesk Revit and Graphisoft Archicad. Architectural and structural elements of churches, castles, and historical monuments such as complex vaults, arches, decorations and ornaments, irregular walls with a variable section and wall stratigraphy require higher levels of detail (LOD) and information (LOI) than new buildings. Consequently, the structure of a BIM model oriented to represent heritage buildings (HBIM) required the definition of a new digital process capable of converting the traditional techniques to the generation of 'unique' digital models able to connect different type of information. Consequently, the generation of 'new' 3D objects able to follow the constructive logic of the detected artefact has required the establishment of new grades of generation (GOG) and accuracy (GOA) to reduce the time and cost of the scan-to-BIM process. The main challenge of this research was the integration of these new modeling requirements in BIM software through the development of an add-in for one of the most used BIM software (Autodesk Revit). Through the generation of the complex vaulted system of the Basilica of Collemaggio (L'Aquila, Italy) and one of the most famous monuments of northern Italy (Arch of Peace in Milan, Italy), the following research shows how it was possible to support users in the HBIM generation, reducing the modeling impact of complex shapes from point cloud data and increasing information sharing for different BIM-based analysis, disciplines and users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The studies on the finishing technique of the stone monuments in Persepolis (Iran) are part of the archaeological project jointly launched in 2008 by Iran and Italy, named 'From Palace to Town'. The first experimental results, obtained on a very limited number of samples, revealed that the Achaemenid builders and sculptors used a white pigment, a kind of bone white, calcium fluorapatite, obtained by burning animal bones, to hide the dark grey colour of the stone. In order to verify these unexpected results, a new campaign was implemented to analyse a much larger number of samples. XRF spectrometry, a non‐destructive technique, was used and the experimental results were further elaborated by PCA. The presence of a white superficial layer was confirmed, and the use of fluorapatite was confirmed as well, but only on monuments attributed to the Xerxes period or later, while in the earlier monuments the white layer was obtained using gypsum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Medieval Kingdom of Sicily Image Database documents historic buildings, monuments, and their decoration in South Italy, a geographic area ravaged by war, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, as well as the depredations of modern restoration and rampant urban growth. Our website and app are intended to help scholars, travelers, and local populations understand the appearance of historic monuments prior to modern change: their position in the landscape, their rich furnishings (tombs, altars, pulpits, painted ceilings, mosaics, altarpieces), and their role as statements of dynastic authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although this is not always the common practice, the survey should be an essential preliminary stage to any operation of restoration, enhancement and promotion of cultural heritage. Today, various surveying techniques make it possible to collect large amounts of data quickly and to provide a complete three-dimensional representation of extremely complex artefacts. In fact, 3D models allow a much richer description than traditional 2D representations. However, these survey techniques (laser scanner and photogrammetry above all) necessarily imply that the data that must be elaborated during the processing phase increase dramatically. It is therefore essential to identify methods and workflows that allow to find a compromise between the richness and completeness of the survey data and the problems inherent in the costs and times of execution of the modelling operations. The problem is further heightened by the fact that the importance of historical monumental architecture inevitably requires the use of different techniques integrated with each other, the production of documentation at different scales with different levels of detail and the creation of a 3D model that has the ability to be used for different purposes. This paper describes the survey of one of the most important medieval monuments in northern Italy, the Parma Baptistery, with a special focus on the phase of data restitution. The integrated survey campaigns conducted in recent years have aimed to describe the building in its totality: from the scale of the architecture to the detail, passing through the description of the pictorial cycle that characterizes the interior. This case study represents a moment of reflection, at least for those who wrote it, on the validity of the methods and techniques to be used for the creation of a complete 3D model of a complex historical monument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A re-examination of the commission for two wall tombs by Pope Julius II between 1505 and 1509 at Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome serves as a catalyst to re-evaluate the Tuscan sculptor Andrea Sansovino, who was hired to produce the memorials. Although the Popolo tombs, dedicated to Cardinals Ascanio Sforza and Girolamo Basso della Rovere, were part of Sansovino's long career, scholars have remained split in their categorization of the artist: some claiming him as just another imitator of the Florentine manner while others praise his creative interpretation of architectonic monuments. The relative neglect of Sansovino in the literature appears to be a case of circumstance, for he was not the only well-known sculptor commissioned by the pope in 1505 to produce a large tomb. Michelangelo was summoned to Rome a few months earlier to plan Julius's own memorial for the new St Peter's basilica. Sansovino's reinvention of the monumental wall tomb, however, marked a distinct shift in the culture of memorialization of ecclesiastics in sixteenth-century Italy. The polarizing opinions of Sansovino suggest a larger discourse at play and raise the question of the meaning of maniera moderna. I reconsider the motives behind Julius's commission of the cardinals' tombs and how his political agenda inspired Sansovino's design. Not only did Sansovino's contemporaries praise the Popolo tombs as exemplars by a modern master, they were also significant for Michelangelo during the early stages of his own tomb production. In order to assess how Sansovino's new ideation on ecclesiastical commemoration directly impacted Michelangelo's design process, I examine the extant drawings of Julius's tomb and Michelangelo's biographers' account of the project. Only by exploring the interrelationship between Julius, Sansovino and Michelangelo around 1505 can the exceptional achievement of the Popolo tombs be revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the political meaning of the Baroque sculpture "Transverberation of St Teresa" made by Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the Carmelite church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome. It discusses how Cardinal Federico Cornaro carefully selected the sculpture's subject and location in the 16th century in order to enhance his prospects of being selected as a future pope. The significance of the evolving views of the monument is also discussed.

In agreement with the last will of Doge Francesco Erizzo († 1646), his heart was buried in San Marco, the political and religious center of the Serenissima, next to the high altar and thus ad sanctos to the relics of Venice's patron saint. This unprecedented privilege not only disrupted the city's restrictive policies concerning public monuments, but her republican ideals in general. Due to the significance of the heart in Christian eschatological thinking and corporal state doctrines his burial elevated Erizzo to the status of an absolute ruler threatening the Republic's sacred constitution. In Venice, however, individual and public interests were closely intertwined. This study therefore analyzes the heart burial in the context of Erizzo's self-fashioning, Venetian state ideology, devotional practices and collective memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archeologia dell'Architettura is the property of Edizioni all'Insegna del Giglio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper presents some numerical results on a Romanesque masonry church located in Emilia-Romagna (Italy), a region recently stricken by a devastating seismic sequence on 20 th - 29 th May 2012. A full investigation of the damages and their comparison with advanced FE analyses, in both linear and nonlinear range are carried out. FE limit analyses are performed through non-commercial software proposed by one of the authors. A remarkable consistency is found among limit analysis results, real performance of the structure under seismic excitation and advanced nonlinear dynamic analyses. In particular, both damage patterns and active failure mechanisms found numerically are consistent with that observed on the church after the seismic event. The results put in evidence the insufficient strength of the apse for combined shear/bending actions, the columns of the central nave for bending, as well as the façade for overturning of the upper part. A seismic upgrading by means of CFRPs composite materials is proposed, designed and analysed quantitatively using FEs, finding an optimal fit between the required performance and the invasivity reduction. The interaction between CFRP strips and masonry substrate is accounted for assuming the behaviour of the reinforcement in agreement with Italian Guidelines for r.c./masonry strengthening with composite materials (CNR DT200). It is found that, with a targeted design, it is possible to prevent premature collapses of the macro-elements, strongly increasing the load carrying capacity of the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Catacombs of Santa Lucia are one of the oldest and most important monuments in the Christian communities of Siracusa and Sicily in the late Roman period. The name of the complex derives from a tradition, according to which Saint Lucy was buried here, after her martyrdom in the early 4th century AD, under the reign of Diocletian. A large underground cemetery extends beneath the homonymous square. The cemetery gradually expanded from the 3rd to the 5th century AD, as it incorporated pre-existing constructions once used for funerary, religious and industrial purposes, by transforming them into monumental burial chambers. One of the most significant structures is the so-called "Pagan Shrine": a chamber that is dated between the 3rd century BC and 1st century AD, prior to the foundation of the cemetery and frescoed with worldly themes and pagan deities. The Shrine is located in the South-western corner of Regio C, an area that is hard and rather dangerous to reach, never opened to the public and visited only by few scholars over the past decades. The excavation project undertaken in the years 2011-2015 by the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology, in association with the Arcadia University and the University of Catania, led to the development of the first virtual replica of the Shrine, using Digital Photogrammetry. This new approach facilitated an accurate examination of both its structure and its decoration, allowing us to propose a new theory about the original purpose of the room, traditionally regarded by scholars as a place for worshipping Zeus Peloros. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Patrimônio e Memória is the property of Centro de Documentacao e Apoio a Pesquisa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The site of the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno (Genoa, Northern Italy, about 0.33 km wide) was addressed by a systematic analysis of decay factors for monuments, to identify potential management concerns. Geologic (structural and stratigraphic), geomorphologic, hydrogeological, hydrologic, meteorological (between 1947 and 2007), botanic and urbanistic (land use) analyses were addressed, and thematic cartography edited for each issue. The decay was observed on ten monuments in white Carrara marble placed in four different areas of the Cemetery (highly vegetated alluvial plain, mildly steep hill slope, south-facing hill slopes, humid creek banks, sheltered galleries, etc.). At the mesoscale, the monuments were addressed for detailed survey, rendered as a weathering map, coupled with decay quantification by the Fitzner indexes. The large- and mesoscale analysis was associated with in situ observation and microinvasive ablation of the surface deposits. These were then analysed by plane polarized light optical microscopy and scanning electron microscope with microprobe (SEM + EDS). Finally, to enhance field observations, all decay evidences were gathered into a protocol inspired to the UNI 11182 weathering descriptions grouped in (1) chromatic alteration (2) ablation weathering (3) accretional weathering. By calibrating the influence of each factor and agent, we attained a weathering zonation into subareas (e.g. Cimitero Protestante, Porticato Inferiore, Boschetto Irregolare, Galleria Pontasso). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multidisciplinary investigation of some open-air manufactured rocky blocks (both of Proto-historic and Medieval Age) found in the archaeological site of Pietralba (Arezzo, Italy) was performed. The Pietralba blocks display different typologies: a rectangular tub, an L-shaped tub, a throne, and a pyramid. Their study has been approached from the geo-morphologic, mineralogical and chemical standpoint with the threefold purpose of selecting how to better preserve the exposed surfaces from the atmospheric agents, of shedding light on their enigmatic use and, as a consequence, of developing a study-method never applied so far in this field. Even though rock 'monuments' are largely widespread and constitute a very intriguing issue, just few studies have been carried out on such artefacts and they have never produced univocal and definitive outcomes regarding their use and age. Samples collected from the tubs were analysed in order to identify the mineralogical and chemical inorganic composition, as well as the possible presence of organic components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines the evidence for the Domitianic ‘Arae Incendii Neroniani’, a presumed set of monumental altars dedicated to Vulcan in fulfilment of a vow dating back to the Neronian Fire of a.d. 64. A close reading of the text of the dedicatory inscription creates a framework for exploring the larger historical and cultural context of these monuments, which offer a significant illustration of Flavian rhetoric concerning Rome's post-Neronian transformation. Reaffirming Julio-Claudian notions of civic identity, collective memory, and the ruler's privileged relationship with the gods, the Arae also constitute a conspicuous form of posthumous reproach to Nero. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this work, soundproof systems for the acoustic correction of large spaces, such as monumental churches, are studied. The Cathedral of Benevento is considered as a case study. Dated back to the seventh century, the church was destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt in the mid-twentieth century, using marble for the floor and smooth plaster for the side walls. In the current state, the cathedral exhibits an excessive reverberation time (about 10 s) that causes poor understanding of speech and not good listening to musical performances. It is difficult to perform any form of acoustic correction inside the cathedral, since the walls and the ceiling cannot be covered with traditional soundabsorbing material due to architectural and aesthetic reasons. Therefore, the possibility of using ceramic material applied to the side walls for the acoustic correction of low-frequency components and transparent micro-perforated sheets placed under the ceiling for the acoustic correction of medium- and high-frequency components are considered. The work is divided into three phases: in the first phase, measurement of the current acoustic characteristics of the cathedral is performed. In the second phase, sound absorption material is investigated and in the third phase, the effects of insertion of soundproof systems on the acoustic characteristics of the cathedral are theoretically evaluated by means of a room acoustic software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research demonstrates an integrated non-invasive assessment method of monumental structures based on dynamic monitoring through ambient vibrations as well as non destructive and microdestructive testing. The investigation involves the analysis of a very complex and extraordinary case study, i.e., the Rialto Bridge in Venice. Dynamic monitoring based on natural vibration sources as inputs from pedestrian traffic, wind and the waves of the Canal Grande – was exploited by dynamic identification process to determine damping coefficient, frequency and modal shapes. The non-destructive and microdestructive tests included sonic and georadar methods and the extraction of very small samples of masonry for destructive tests in laboratory. The experimental investigation on the whole was conceived to avoid any type of invasive action on the prestigious monument. The aim of this research is to propose a new integrated protocol potentially suitable and generalizable for the assessment of monumental structures. The new features in the combined method include two types of results – qualitative and quantitative types – through a flow chart to explain the methodology and generalize the different phases of the approach for historical constructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An appendix is presented related to Venice, Italy including the values of monuments, the nature and art, and restorations of buildings.

In a new nation formed from regions of differing political traditions and histories, no single work of art or building could emerge as an emblematic image of Italian culture. Instead, this essay argues that two classes of images - one an object type, the other the representation of a social class -- grew to epitomize the cultural identity crisis of the newly founded state. Both types of images, furthermore, were closely connected to the activities of the national superintendency. The first were products of the archaeological innovation of Giuseppe Fiorelli when he the director of the national museum in Naples in 1863: they were the plaster casts of the ancient Pompeiians who perished in the eruption of Vesuvius. The second were monks: members of the ancien regime's privileged first estate and former residents of the ecclesiastic estates that became state property - some as national monuments - with the suppression of religious corporations in 1866. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reprint of the article "Antonio Muñoz (1884-1960) and the History of Byzantine Illumination: A New Field of Research in Italy Under the Aegis of Adolfo Venturi," by Giovanni Gasbarri, which appeared in a 2014 issue of "Rivisita di Storia della Miniatura" is presented. It discusses his significant role in the administration and conservation of Rome's monumental heritage, and his specialization on Byzantine book illumination.

Syracuse has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2005. Notable for its visible traces of the ancient Greek city, the inscribed sites are mainly located on the Ortigia Islet and in the Neapolis Archaeological Park. In this park, in addition to monuments of global significance such as the Greek theatre carved into the rock in the fifth centurybc, wild flora of great interest are preserved. Some species may have been introduced in the classical period. In 2013, significant maintenance interventions of green areas were made, aimed at safeguarding the monuments and the most relevant flora present. This activity provided an opportunity to create, through an interdisciplinary project, some guidelines for the management of the green cover, and has also created new opportunities for the use of the site through thematic routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on texture accuracy for a reliable simulation of construction materials present in some important historic monuments on the World Heritage List, dating back to Late Antiquity in Ravenna (Italy). A series of novel strategies will be explained in order to take advantage of automatic texturing solutions of 3D digital models created by Structure from Motion (SfM) applications. These monuments will be used as case studies toillustrate a shadow removal technique on Lambertian surfaces (stone, mortar, bricks, etc.) from apparent colour texture and a rapid approach for optic simulation of mosaic decoration. The latter consists of splitting a single apparent colour texture into a set of images whose purpose is to supply render engines more suitable shaders for representing coloured mosaic tiles in an optically reliable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's views on the life and works of Pietro Tommaso Monti, Colonel Brigadier in Italian army. Various topics discussed include his participation in the First World War and construction of two monuments in his memorial in Italian countries. It further informs about his family and marriage.

Pisan churches of the eleventh century feature the use of bacini, or ceramic bowls, as decoration on an unprecedented scale. The hundreds of bowls that still exist all came from the Islamic world and were imported at a time when Pisa was undertaking military campaigns against and conducting trade with Muslim territories throughout the Mediterranean. Eleventh-century visual and textual sources characterize the Pisans as traders and crusaders simultaneously, and this paper argues that the seemingly contradictory qualities of holy warrior and merchant were not only complementary but essential for the definition of a Pisan civic identity. The bacini served as visual manifestations of this identity, as they were located in highly visible locations on numerous public monuments throughout the city. In the eleventh century, the bacini in Pisa came predominantly from North Africa and referenced the advantageous trade relations the Pisans enjoyed in the western Mediterranean, differentiating them from their rivals in Amalfi and Venice, who had already established control over commerce in the eastern Mediterranean. Far from being symbols of triumph over a Muslim enemy, these basins from the Islamic world displayed the city's success in both crusade and trade and its sense of belonging in a Mediterranean environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of seismic and volcanic vulnerability assessment of a monumental masonry building in the Vesuvius area are presented in this paper. The objective of this assessment is to suggest maintenance and retrofitting measures for increased structural safety of the building. Initially, the seismic behaviour of the structure was investigated using modal dynamic and pushover analyses. These analyses were carried out with the help of two different computer programmes entitled AEDES and SAP2000. Static nonlinear and linear analyses were employed, respectively, for earthquake and tephra loading conditions from a volcanic erruption. Finally, retrofitting interventions based on the use of metal elements and rock wool insulator have been designed and applied to the structure in order to eliminate the seismic and volcanic deficiencies in the investigated building. The effectiveness of such interventions has been assessed using numerical analyses on the retrofitted building; these analyses indicated improved global structural behaviour of the building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article attributes the marble monument to Francesco Grassi (1667-1677), located on the left wall of the presbytery of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta at Chioggia, to the Venetian sculptor Paolo Callalo (Venice 1655-1725). Francesco Grassi was a bishop of Nin and immediately after his death at Zadar, Paolo Grassi set up this monument in the memory of his uncle who was originally from Chioggia. On the basis of comparative analysis the article attributes the monument to Paolo Callalo and compares it to Callalo's earliest works: putti on the support of the altar of St Joseph in San Giovanni Crisostomo in Venice, produced between 1679 and 1685, as well as the 1686 statue of St Michael on the high altar at San Michele in Isola. Callalo borrowed the putti's characteristic typology from Giusto Le Court, the most important sculptor in Venice during the second half of the seventeenth century, and adapted it to his own stylistic expression. Apart from the relatively early monument from Chioggia, the article argues that another piece, the Pietà group (1719) from the altar of the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral of St Anastasia at Zadar, is Callalo's mature work. The Pietà group is close to the contemporary statues of Faith and Hope in Udine Cathedral and, in addition to that, it is similar to the somewhat earlier statues of Christ and a cherub from the Parish Church at Labin. The ever increasing oeuvre of Paolo Callalo confirms that he was one of the main protagonists of Baroque sculpture in Venice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]