The Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L’Aquila: Modern Provisional Measures

The case in analysis is Santa Maria di Collemaggio, the church symbol of the town of L’Aquila and the most important example of Romanesque style in Abruzzi, tragically damaged by the earthquake in 2009. The following paper starts with an accurate analysis of the Basilica, whose historical, stylistical cultural characteristics make it an unicum in the whole urban environment. The authors tried to identify in which way these values have been compromised or altered after the earthquake through several analysis (surveys, historical researches etc.) aiming at the recognition of collapses, the cracks profile, the structural transformations caused by the provisional measures: the goal is to provide a kind of Basilica “cognitive manual” that will be useful for the future interventions. This first analysis allowed to understand many aspects: on the one hand, the constructive phases and which damages were caused by past careless interventions of restoration, drawing attention to the vulnerability elements of the Basilica; on the other hand, the innovative technologies and materials of the post-seismic provisional measures and their exact location.