Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/11856
Authors: Clemente, Paolo* 
Hailemikael, Salomon* 
Milana, Giuliano* 
Orlando, Luciana* 
Title: Preface Special issue: Monitoring and Seismic Characterization of Archaeological Sites and Structures
Journal: Annals of Geophysics 
Series/Report no.: /60 (2017)
Issue Date: 2017
DOI: 10.4401/ag-7480
Abstract: The preservation of cultural heritage is a crucial issue in areas prone to seismic and other natural hazards. The major challenge in pursuing such an important objective is related to the extreme fragility of ancient monuments and buildings exposed for centuries to the ravages of time. A suitable way to successfully proceed in the preservation effort of monumental structures should be based on then integrated use of different non-invasive diagnostic techniques, aimed at understanding the geological and geotechnical features of the areas where monuments are founded and the structural characteristic of the construction itself. In this perspective a team composed by researchers of ENEA, INGV and Sapienza University of Rome has recently carried out geophysical and structural investigations on the Amphiteatrum Flavium in Rome, better known as Colosseum, which is the symbol of monumental heritage in Italy and well-known all over the world. The experimental campaign was only a preliminary analysis of the very famous archaeological site that allowed outlining the state of knowledge about the characteristics of the site and the structure and should be considered as a starting point for an in-depth investigation of the monument vulnerability. In our opinion, the benefits of such an integrated approach can steer the political and social choices related with the preservation of the cultural heritage at National or European level. The results obtained were very interesting and induced the authors to propose their publication in a special issue of an international journal. The scope of this choice was twofold: ensuring both a wide audience with these activities and a serious review process of the studies. Therefore, we selected the most interesting results of the experimental campaign and invited a number of researchers involved in the field of “Monitoring and Seismic Characterization of Archaeological Sites and Structures” to contribute to this special issue. The relevance of this volume has been emphasized by the occurrence of the recent seismic sequence in Central Italy, whose mainshocks of August 24th and October 26th and 30th, 2016, caused 298 victims, hundreds of injured and the damage to most of the cultural heritage in the area. Symbol of the open wound left by the seismic sequence on the monumental patrimony is the San Benedetto Cathedral in Norcia. The morning of October 30th only the façade of the church, which is dedicated to the Patron Saint of Europe and represents the emblem of the medieval architecture in Central Italy dating back to XIII century, was still standing. It is worth noting that the mainshocks were clearly felt in Rome, at distance of about 100 km.
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