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This study focuses on the Memorial Chapel, a historical site located inside the Tempio Evangelico Valdese in Florence. In 1843, the first Anglican church in Florence, known as Holy Trinity Church, was built by D. Giraldi. Around 1892, G. F. Bodley began the reconstruction of a new building of neo-Gothic style at the same site, which was completed in 1904. This new church had a space dedicated to memory called Memorial Chapel. In 1967, the monumental complex was acquired by the Waldensians, now known as the Tempio Evangelico Valdese. This interdisciplinary investigation aimed to study the most damaged painted walls of the chapel. For this purpose, samples of decorative plaster mortars were collected from various points, after carrying out a digital mapping of the degraded areas. Mineralogical, petrographic, optical, chemical, and microchemical analyses were performed. This study made it possible to highlight the composition and the characteristics of the different layers of the plaster mortars, permitting us also to identify the types of pigments used over time in the paintings; furthermore, it was possible to reconstruct the degradation phenomena on the walls and the events that caused them, providing valuable insight for targeted restoration efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite radar remote sensing techniques are non-invasive methodologies that can be effectively used for diagnostic purposes, measuring displacements, and monitoring cultural assets, architectural structures, and archaeological areas without injuring their integrity. The environmental condition and hydrogeological hazard in the Italian territory could make its invaluable Cultural Heritage at risk. Therefore, within the National Extraordinary Plan for Monitoring and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, an agreement has been established between the Ministry of Culture and the UNESCO Chair of the UNiversity of Florence on Prevention and Sustainable Management of Geo-hydrological Hazard to analyse ground motion rates on built-up areas by means of acquisition and PSI (Persistent Scatterers Interferometry) elaboration of high-resolution CosmoSkyMed synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data (X-band). This technique can provide useful support on the conservation and protection of Cultural Heritage, as it endorses an innovative perspective on the condition and safety of historical sites, monuments, archaeological sites and artworks, thus contributing significantly to their preservation over time. Through SAR interferometric techniques, it is possible to identify millimetric displacements related to environmental threats, such as slow-moving landslides. This work proposes the classification of buildings of urban areas by using two indices based on PSI data coverage and deformation rates: the data coverage index in each building (Id) and the average velocity index of PSI data in each building and its surroundings (Ivmean), representing deformation rates in a locally scaled, easily understandable color-coded format. This method has already been tested in scientific literature on other SAR datasets for evaluating instability at the building scale. The approach aims to develop a fast and low-cost system to assess buildings that are potentially exposed to deformation and therefore more susceptible to damage in heavily urbanized areas with high historical-cultural value. In order to safeguard Cultural Heritage from natural disasters, the proposed methodology integrates a high degree of scientific and technological expertise and presents an updated and accurate screening of potential deformations due to hydrogeological hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Non-destructive testing techniques, namely sonic pulse velocity, hygrometric tests, and infrared thermography, were employed for inspecting late XV-century frescoes to evaluate the state of conservation of the plaster-masonry structure. Prior to restoration work, the frescoes created at the end of the XV century by the painter Saturnino Gatti (1463–1518) in the apse of the Church of St. Panfilo in Villagrande di Tornimparte (L'Aquila) were the subject of a thorough diagnostic study involving several tests, from in situ non-destructive analysis to laboratory micro-destructive analysis on the collected samples. In this paper, we report the application of the sonic pulse velocity test, hygrometric tests, and infrared thermography to assess the state of conservation of the frescoes, i.e., the combined system of plaster and wall support. The complete analysis of the frescoes' state of conservation revealed significant insights. The integrity of the plaster was evaluated through sonic pulse velocity tests, which highlighted several areas of detachment or degradation phenomena. Hygrometric analysis described humidity variations, particularly near the boundary between the conch area and the church naves. Passive infrared thermography detected temperature inhomogeneities, emphasizing differences in the wall texture and the masonry structure. Moreover, by comparing sonic pulse velocity and passive thermography images, a certain degree of correlation between hot areas and slow areas in the presence of possible detachments was noticed. In addition, pulse-compression active thermography was applied in a few spots, and for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the virtual wave concept was applied to the cultural heritage field. This strategy helps in better associating anomalies with depth. The measurement campaign was part of a research project conducted by members of the Italian Association of Archaeometry (AIAr), and the results were compared and integrated with those of other non-destructive and analytical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]