Conoscere per conservare: metodologie diagnostiche in un contesto monumentale ibrido. Il caso di San Pietro ad Alba Fucens

The integration of modern technologies in the field of architectural heritage conservation requires ongoing and multidisciplinary training for both technicians and practitioners, making the restoration site a privileged space for the exchange of diverse skills and expertise. Diagnostic analysis can serve as a valuable tool for understanding the stratigraphy of the monuments under investigation, facilitating both the assessment of their state of conservation and the identification of appropriate interventions. However, the experimental study carried out on the Church of San Pietro in Alba Fucens (Avezzano) highlighted how the coexistence of highly heterogeneous materials significantly increases the complexity of interpreting diagnostic results. Following the 1915 earthquake, the church underwent a radical intervention involving the insertion of reinforced concrete frames within the ancient masonry—hidden from view—to improve structural stability without altering the building’s external appearance. The diagnostic project, based exclusively on non-destructive testing methods (including ground-penetrating radar, thermography, pacometry, and endoscopy), was grounded in the critical analysis of archival documents to reconstruct the various phases of the intervention. The investigation revealed both the strengths and limitations of diagnostic techniques in a context characterized by multiple interacting factors, offering a valuable reflection on the effectiveness of contemporary tools in the restoration of complex hybrid structures such as masonry–reinforced concrete systems.