Damage pattern in historical centres: Isernia, an example in Southern Italy

Abstract

As regards the July 26, 1805 earthquake, a detailed study on the damage suffered by the town of Isernia has been carried out. As a first step in our research, we analyzed a manuscript of the time, in which describes damage to public buildings, churches and some notable houses caused by the earthquake. In order to identify such damaged sites, several archival sources and documents from 1816 to 1955 have been examined, on account of the remarkable changes in toponymy which occurred after 1861 and caused by the 1943 bombing. Moreover, due to the lack of cartography of the time, a 1875 map or the town has been used and compared with the land registry maps of a later period. The analysis of the 1805 damage pattern shows that the historical centre of the Isernia town is divided into three areas whose damage level is fairly differem: such areas are respectively located in the southern, central and northern part of the town with an increase in damage from South to North.