Preventive and Planned Conservation: A Knowledge-Based Tool to Manage Heritage at Risk. Strategies for the Pitti Palace in Florence

This paper explores risk management in architectural heritage and advocates planned conservation as an effective alternative to unstructured emergency interventions. It presents the first results of a multidisciplinary research on the sandstone facades of the Pitti Palace in Florence (Italy), which are deteriorating and detaching mainly due to the intrinsic characteristics of the Pietraforte. The study was conducted as part of an institutional agreement between Università Politecnica delle Marche and the Uffizi Galleries, with support from the Laboratory for Stone Materials and Applied Geology, Environment, and Landscape of the University of Florence. The aim is to address Preventive and Planned Conservation strategies to manage material deterioration and ensure the physical integrity and safe use of the building, with a heritage- and people-centered approach. In this context, the paper presents the method and activities that led to a knowledge-based tool for assessing stone detachment hazard and prioritizing conservation efforts. The tool combines archival documents, research on previous restorations, analysis of the asset’s state of conservation and instrumental diagnostic, the latter to validate the method. The results will help establish a methodological framework for future statistical analyses, supporting the development of a predictive model to govern complexity in heritage preservation, mitigate deterioration and ensure public safety.