DAStU Dipartimento di Architettura e Studi Urbani

"The nature of historic buildings is a plot of different writings, subject of study and research. The bearing wall constitutes the filter between inside and outside and it guides the relation to the landscape. The masonry represents mainly the image of a building and it is the most weathered element.
In a multidisciplinary process, the diagnostics is a critical investigation to define precise choices of action. Focusing on this main perspective, the study presented has been developed for a Building Engineering/Architecture thesis1.
Embresi is a high-medieval hamlet, which shows marks of an important history, despite of its actual decay. The tower and the presence of stone graven faces are really interesting. The stonework itself shows some peculiarities. The realization of corners, portals and windows and the high quality of joints demonstrates an impressive building craftsmanship, higher than a simple rural construction.
The masonry is made of good quality material and the diseases are resulted from the degradation of the construction system especially connected with the collapse of the roofs. The limestone blocks have different composition in relation to their position and function. The investigations allowed also the comparison between the mineralogical composition of the ashlars and that one of the rock formations, placed in the vicinity. The X-ray diffraction underlined important information about composition, history and preservation."

The historic buildings conservation by itself is a necessary but not sufficient condition to a restoration project; without a sustainable re-use strategy, it is impossible to achieve a long-term result, which takes into account the real users of the cultural heritage.
The re-use proposes itself as a possible strategy to allow the effective opportunity to enjoy the Cultural Heritage and, at the same time, to give an appropriate response to constantly changing needs and regulations, in order to the socioeconomic situation, too. In this regard, today, we talk about exploitation of the existing heritage. The modernization and refunctionalization project becomes a helping tool both solving the critical issues of an obsolete construction, that has never been able to answer performance regulations (energy saving, fire safety, accessibility), and monitoring and improving the management of the building, but, at the same time, re-use should consider the comparison with the existing heritage by a task of research (historic identity, constraints, construction characteristics). Each building is an unicum and it's necessary to act on a case-by-case basis, preserving the peculiarity of a construction.
In this scenario, the developed research, aims to define guidelines for improving energy performances of existing, historical buildings and for an efficient management of building systems, in the perspective of an action plan's drafting [2]. The research is applied to the case of study of the Villa Reale in Monza, which becomes an ideal experimentation’s context, because of its importance and its complexity.

Cultura responsabile della manutenzione, individuazione e trasferimento di buone prassi per la conservazione programmata, diffusione di nuove metodologie e tecnologie di indagine diagnostica rappresentano solo alcuni degli elementi chiave del progetto, che, pur riguardando nello specifico la chiesa della B.V. Annunciata di Serle, può essere esteso a molti altri beni ecclesiastici diffusi sul territorio regionale.
La realizzazione di questo vademecum risponde in particolare alla necessità di sensibilizzare e rendere consapevoli i gestori dei beni culturali delle potenzialità che corrette strategie di conservazione programmata apportano dal punto di vista della sostenibilità economica e funzionale del patrimonio. Il vademecum è da intendersi come una breve guida contenente suggerimenti e raccomandazioni per un’adeguata prevenzione del degrado degli edifici storici di tipo ecclesiastico.
Il vademecum è stato realizzato con il contributo di Fondazione Cariplo nell’ambito del progetto “Promuovere diagnostica e conservazione programmata per il patrimonio diffuso ecclesiastico. Il caso della B.V. Annunciata di Serle”, cofinanziato attraverso il bando “Diffondere metodologie innovative per la conservazione programmata del patrimonio storico-architettonico - anno 2009.

ENG:
Vernacular architecture belongs to a culture, which is grounded on memory and tradition, enriched by experience, that is handed down by the individual. The lack of a critical past consciousness and the tradition continuity did not permit the perception of the difference between existing and new buildings.
In Italy, at the end of the mid-century, the transition from an agricultural to an industrial economy, the consequent internal migrations, the extension of the compulsory schooling and the diffusion of the television contributed to interrupt the direct communication with the result of homogenizing the national culture and removing the local cultural peculiarities. So, an anthropological caesura arises.
The attraction of the new lifestyles caused a refusal of the traditional architecture, often with the aim at repelling a humble past,  felt as embarrassment.
When the anthropological caesura appears, the difference between past and present emerges clearly in people consciousness; this originates the regret of something that was lost and people want to reconquer. This regret has caused two tendencies, on one hand the recourse to a reassuring traditional style, on the other hand the need of safeguarding material testimonies.
The process of retrieval of the historical city centres had already happened often with negative results. A “recolonization” of historical villages and rural buildings is presently developing, frequently with the purpose to repossess our roots, but without capability for readjustment to lifestyles of tradition, neither comprehension of traditional building techniques. So a risk arises to the historical vernacular features preservation.

ESP:
La arquitectura vernácula pertenece a un mundo dominado por una cultura fundada sobre la memoria y la tradición, generada y enriquecida por la experiencia, transmitida por el individuo. La falta de una conciencia crítica del pasado y la continuidad de la tradición no permitían percibir la distinción entre los edificios existentes y los nuevos.
En Italia, a finales de la década de los 50, la transición desde una economía agrícola hacia una industrial, las consecuentes migraciones internas, la extensión de la educación obligatoria y la difusión de la televisión contribuyeron a la interrupción de la transmisión directa, homogeneizando la cultura nacional y eliminando las peculiaridades locales. Así nació una ruptura antropológica.
Los atractivos de los nuevos estilos de vida llevaron a un rechazo de la arquitectura tradicional, a menudo por el deseo de alejamiento de un pasado humilde, entendido como algo de lo que avergonzarse.
Cuando la ruptura se manifiesta, surge la conciencia de la distinción entre presente y pasado, creando un cierto arrepentimiento. Esto ha dado lugar a dos tendencias, por un lado un tranquilizador estilo arquitectónico tradicionalista, por el otro una exigencia de tutela de los testigos materiales.
El proceso de recuperación de muchos cascos antiguos ha tenido lugar, frecuentemente con resultados negativos. Actualmente se está desarrollando una "recolonización” de pueblos y arquitecturas rurales, a menudo en el intento de reapropiación de raíces, pero sin una capacidad de readaptación a los estilos de vida antiguos ni comprensión del saber constructivo tradicional, creándose así un riesgo que amenaza la conservación de los carácteres propios de las construcciones vernáculas."

The sustainability is an essential topic in the field of building planning and it became also a necessary requirement of the Cultural Heritage preservation.
It’s a long time since the STEP laboratory, of the University of Pavia, deals with researches on the themes of recovery and restoration of Interdepartmental Research Centre on Cultural Heritage Conservation (CISRiC). The STEP laboratory has worked on the development of analysis and energy assessment methodologies and on the sustainable management of historical buildings. In this area, a research was conduct and experimented on the southern wing of the royal palace of Monza, in Lombardy (north of Italy). Another project was focused on the creation of assessment models aimed at planning the conservation and the Life Cycle Assessment of “Minor” monuments, such as the sanctuary of the Beata Vergine Annunciata in Serle (province of Brescia), also in Lombardy.
The methodological features delineate a unified approach for the sustainable management of the Cultural Heritage, through the conducted case-studies.

"The architecture, connected with the rural civilization and building culture, is made with local materials and it originates from the land management needs, therefore the study and valorisation of rural architecture and territory are inseparable from each other.
Territory and architecture are exposed to anthropic and natural hazards: the gradual abandon or abuse of the rural territory favour the hydrogeological instability; on the one hand the abandonment of the historical buildings support their degradation and definitive loss, on the other hand it protected them from distorting renovations.
However most of the Italian territory has maintained yet significant landscape features, whose touristic attraction could be an important economic resource."

Since 17th century due to the conversion of agriculture to capitalism, in the Po valley the cascina (a courtyard farm) established itself as an agrarian production centre, evolving into a multifunctional structure closely connected with territory. It was often self-sufficient social centre, thanks to the presence of agricultural activities, breeding and food processing, as well as services (school, church).
In the second half of 20th century, agricultural mechanization and industrial development caused a severe decrease of agricultural employees, originating rural areas depopulation and farmsteads abandonment; therefore the lack of maintenance originated a gradual degradation and many constructions turned to ruin.
Nowadays neglected agrarian buildings represent a real agricultural archaeology heritage, that connotes Po valley landscape and recalls the archetype of rural life.
Since the 1990s, a growing nostalgia of rural lifestyle has developed, following by the development of agrarian estate refurbishments as permanent or holiday homes; but the lack of a common technical culture of restoration brought to disrespectful works.
Safeguard and valorisation strategies shouldn’t be based only on cultural interest declaration, that concerns emerging goods and not widespread heritage: it is essential to raise users’ and technicians’ awareness; provincial and regional authorities should issue guidelines for drawing up local planning instruments, that encourage more respectful actions also through incentives or tax relief.

""Assessment and monitoring actions are integrated as possible strategies for sustainable preservation and Cultural Heritage management. In particular, the indoor environment’s performance assessment is necessary to verify either if the building meets users’ requirements, or further planned actions (refurbishment, new systems installation, etc.) are needed. The Cultural Heritage has strict preservation requirements, but it is necessary to meet the users’ needs in term of environmental quality, safety and management. The paper illustrates a research developed by the CISRiC and the SITI Institute, on behalf of ENEA (Italian National agency for new technologies, Energy and sustainable economic development). The goal is the definition of innovative tools for energy efficiency assessment and monitoring, with the purpose
of defining guidelines aimed at improving energy and efficient management of the buildingplant system. The case study is the southern wing of the Villa Reale in Monza (1777-1780), which represents the high complexity of historical buildings.""

"Presentazione di alcune attività di ricerca legate al filone della conservazione dei Beni Culturali, messe in atto nell'ambito delle attività del Laboratorio di Scienza e Tecnica per l'Edilizia e la Progettazione (STEP), presso il dipartimento DICAr (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Architettura) dell'Università degli Studi di Pavia e patrocinate dal CISRiC (Centro Interdipartimentale di Studi e Ricerche sui Beni Culturali).
Gruppo di ricerca laboratorio STEP: prof. Marco Morandotti (coordinatore e direttore CISRiC), prof. Alessandro Greco, prof. Daniela Besana, Valentina Cinieri, Valentina Cursio, Valentina Giacometti, Matteo Locatelli, Francesco Maccarone, Elena Romano, Elisa Salvaneschi, Laura Sarchi, Emanuele Zamperini."