Invisible | Accessible. Masonry Domes of the 15th and 16th Centuries in Campania. Innovative Strategies for the Interpretation and the Multi-thematic Inclusive Fruition of Vulnerable Architectures [iDome]

The research project focuses the attention on masonry domes – elements as much emerging in the historical urban landscape as constructively complex – considered as “macro-elements” historically vulnerable to static and dynamic stresses. In continuity with previous studies carried out over past years by many co-proponents, the project aims at experimenting an integrated knowledge approach to the domes' interpretation by combining established methodologies with innovative strategies for the comprehension of invisible structures. Such an approach is related in an unitary vision to verticals parts, as foundations, pillars, drums, attics and lanterns, and to curved ones, as arches, vaults and pendentives, together with the pre-reinforcements placed during the construction phases or for later strengthening (iron hoops, tie rods, clamps, etc). These arguments deal with issues crucial for the study of domes: firstly, the overlapping of inner and outer surfaces – as roof claddings and fresco paintings – which hide constructive elements and do not enable their comprehension. In addition, it has to be considered the difficult inspection and, therefore, the common inaccessibility, due to big dimensions and conspicuous heights from the ground level. All these factors, together with the presence of decorated surfaces that strongly limit the traditional diagnosis, require new investigation strategies – at distance and by non-destructive methods – able to document the invisible both for emerging and underground parts. Once limited the field of investigation on the 15th and 16th centuries' Campania construction context, the project aims at developing an integrated model of knowledge where “humanistic” interpretation techniques and bottom-up/bottom-down surveys and materials' investigations could be complementary and able to give information useful for the restoration of masonry domes. This could be possible thanks to an interdisciplinary data combination, by integrating bibliographical, iconographic and archival documents, comparisons with historical treatises, instrumental surveys and diagnosis investigations together with innovative spatial interpretations, as well as through the collaboration of research and specialist educational centres. This aim, supported by the careful selection, cataloguing and open-access digitalization of the acquired data, will be applied to a demonstrative research case-study and will have a broader and complete result in the Atlas of Masonry Domes in Campania. The Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries, considered as a testing outcome on which can be prepared, in the near future, national and international projects, related both to the following centuries’ architectures in the same area, as well as to wider contexts through well calibrated comparative processes. The understanding of what is invisible to direct inspection, in turn, is a stimulating frontier to deepen in a multi-disciplinary form for the proposition of innovative dissemination ways for the comprehension of cultural heritage and able to add to the recognition of decorative and spatial values new communicative horizons related to the construction of complex “machines”. The transposition of the outcomes of the survey phase – i.e, engineering inventions of the past, preventive expedients, hidden systems, transformations’ traces – into the transfer of digital “accessible” data by ICT and mobile systems, other than increase the specialized knowing, can have repercussions on the improvement of the sharing and consequent spread of a greater cultural awareness towards the historical-constructive features, often sacrificed, of the historical buildings.