<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The Emilia 2012 earthquake highlighted the high vulnerability of historical masonry spires, at the top of bell towers. Indeed almost half of the spires, in the area hit by the seismic event, show the loss of the top. The observed collapse mechanism consists in sliding of the spire top and in the resulting overturning. Once the emergency phase has passed, it is now a duty to learn from this traumatic experience and to provide new tools for the prevention of the destructive effects of future earthquakes. In this perspective, a geodatabase was designed, using the ArcGIS Pro software, for monitoring the vulnerabilities of the surveyed spires. Indeed, as we learn from the study of the effects of past earthquakes, seismic damages are recurrent for each building typology and therefore they can be predictable and avoidable. For example, by statistically elaborating the data of the designed database, a correlation arose between the levels of damage of the spires and their type of masonry arrangement. Indeed four different masonry typologies have been distinguished. The work then focuses on three damaged spires of churches belfries, proposing three consolidation hypotheses to prevent the future loss of the rebuilt top part of the spire. The structural analyses, performed with Abaqus CAE and detailed in a different work, showed that the same intervention produces different results on the different case studies: a demonstration that there is not an “absolute” best solution, but an intervention suitable for each case.</p>

Abstract. The paper shows the studies carried out within the framework of two research agreements for the census of abandoned enlisted assets owned by public bodies in the Provinces of Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia, stipulated with the respective Heritage Departments. The purpose of this research is to increase the cognitive framework of cultural assets in a state of abandonment, and then to transfer the results to the dedicated WebGIS platform, with the aim of identifying the ones which are most in need of a conservation and reuse intervention, in order to return them back to their community. Afterwards, as a result of the cataloguing carried out, it was possible to make some critical considerations and statistical reworkings of the collected data. The data analysis, performed through the design of a GIS database, finds out a higher frequency of abandonment for some specific building types and with recurring locations. The research also highlights, once again, the importance of defining common ontologies, which are essential for statistical data processing and interoperability between different existing databases.

The May 2012 Emilia earthquake has highlighted the important vulnerability of masonry spires at the top of bell towers of churches. Indeed, almost half of those in the epicentral area have shown a typical damage mechanism consisting in the shear sliding and overturning of the top of the spire. Given the recurrence of this phenomenon, the present paper tries to provide a contribution to the comprehension of the seismic behaviour of the spires through the numerical analysis of three case studies. In particular, the work analyses the spires of the churches of San Nicola di Bari in Cortile, near Carpi (MO); Sant'Egidio in Cavezzo (MO), and Sant'Agostino in Sant'Agostino (FE). The numerical models of these masonry structures were made using Abaqus Finite Element software. After the creation of the three-dimensional geometric models, a first nonlinear static analysis of the entire bell tower was performed adopting for masonry the Abaqus “concrete damage plasticity model”. Once the stability of the bell tower was verified for dead loads, the non-linear time-step dynamic analysis was faced. This required the definition of the seismic input at the base of the tower, through the accelerograms recorded by the closest stations. The nonlinear dynamic analysis of the global model of the bell tower provided the floor response spectra at the base and at the top of the spire. Indeed the comparison between spectra at the ground and at the top highlights the filter effect of the stem of the bell tower with a significant increase in accelerations at the top. This effect may explain the widespread damage observed at the top of the spires. Eventually, three different non-invasive intervention techniques were proposed in compliance with the principles of restoration and were modelled to compare their behaviour.

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Fortified architecture is a widespread and peculiar typology in Italy as it represents an identifying element for communities and a reference point in the landscape. An imposing system of castles, dating back to the 11th century, characterises the area of Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia Romagna Region. Among these fortifications, Canossa Castle is an important and distinctive fortress. Built on the top of an isolated cliff, a particularly strategic and defensive point, it played a central role in the medieval European history. For instance, it was the scene of the well-known reconciliation between Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII, which ended the Investiture Controversy in 1077. The current state of ruins of  this fortress is due to both centuries of neglect and to recent incongruent interventions. Therefore, archival research, in-situ inspections and photogrammetric techniques were carried out on the case study of Canossa Castle, in order to analyse the numerous restoration yards that have followed one another on the fortress in the last century. Firstly, the lack of coordination between the different interventions emerged. Furthermore, it has been observed that the principles of restoration have been disregarded several times, with consequent damage to the archaeological remains. Therefore, the present study aims to underline the importance of a critical and aware intervention plan for the conservation and damage prevention of cultural heritage, considering the possible support of HBIM tools.