S&T Expert of the CEI (Central European Initiative)

Via Genova, 9 – 34121 Trieste – Italy

Tel. +39 40 7786730 – Fax +39 40 360640

E-mail address: g.cico@cei-es.org

The main architectonic features - their facades in particular of the monumental palaces, while offering a direct understanding of town centers historical development, are our very first contact with the monuments themselves. More generally they represent a cultural heritage which deserves to be preserved for the benefit of future generations. Ancient residences, however, often show serious conservations problems, thus calling for strictly focused restoration works. Aiming to remedy the degradation of this unique European wealth, comprehensive analytical studies should be identified and properly implemented. The starting point is both the historical-diagnostic evaluation of the monumental building (history related researchers, “layers” analysis, …) and the analytical study of the physical characteristics (micro-invasive and non-destructive analyses, chemical-petrography and mineralogical surveys,…). This will offer the necessary basis for establishing the proper intervention methodology, to be specifically and case-by-case tailored. Highly sophisticated techniques should be considered in the more general frame of the restoration project as a whole, because of the importance of assuring the convergence of different aspects on both the technological and cultural sides. Thus the advanced diagnostic technologies are favoring the development of a new approach to the theory and the best practice of the restoration processes.