The brick masonry of Pietrasanta bell tower in Naples. Knowledge and conservation of an iconic medieval building

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of an icon of historic brick construction in southern Italy; the Pietrasanta Bell Tower, located in Graeco-Roman Naples. The Bell Tower was added to the church of the same name, built earlier in the 11th and 12th century. In its construction features, its bricklaying techniques and its reuse of spolia, the building is one of Naples’ symbols of medieval architecture whose traditional brickwork is combined with the technique of recycling architectural elements of the classical era, such as friezes, cornices and capitals recovered from nearby classical structures. The study begins with a thorough analysis of historical sources in order to investigate the transformation and events that have helped define its current singularity. It then analyses the materials, the type of masonry and their state of conservation. Our thermographic survey has proved indispensable for interpreting the state of conservation of the brickwork, defining the specific characteristics of the bricks, mortar and recovered materials.