Planned Conservation

Research focus

The Peer review has evaluated this group as Good

The Research Unit works on preventive and planned conservation and on enhancement of Built Cultural Heritage and works of art; it carries out research on process innovation and on information systems; it provides services for all phases of the preservation of buildings and systems; it carries out studies on the history of science and technologies. The main research line concerns a theme which in the past years has become the very centre of the research agenda on Preservation, both in Italy and in Europe, thanks also to the contribution of the Research Unit: in Italy the Codice dei Beni culturali e del paesaggio (Framework Law of Heritage and Landscape) has substituted the definition of “restoration” with a process-related definition of conservation activities (study, prevention, maintenance, restoration); in Europe the theme of “Preventive conservation and monitoring” has been given a specific area in the 7th FP. The Unit has produced much in the last years, with the decisive support of the Lombardy Region. Through this activity it has built a network of relationships (both institutional and scientific) at a national and international level. The starting point was the shift from restoration/event to conservation as continuous care. Research has subsequently been focused on the innovation of the whole process, including hybridizing themes of Restoration and Technology, but also by reviewing the whole toolkit of restoration (diagnostics, monitoring methods, operators’ skills, contents of project documents, information systems, information technology…). A second research theme is devoted to the idea of programming. The research approaches the theme in the broadest way, through comprehensive plans in which the external aspects of restoration are taken into account in line with the most upto- date economic theories on the relationships between culture, innovation, competitivity and social cohesion. The comprehensive plans focus on programming restorations and foundations of new cultural services: the matter involves an evaluation of the effects of communicating the high quality of restoration activities on local development. Within this general vision, wide scope is given to analytical and historic research, which provides new thinking thanks to the freedom from strict links with the project. The technical-scientific areas of competence are: Restoration and Conservation of Built Cultural Heritage; Comprehensive plans and management of sites; Study and enhancement of works of art; Information systems for cataloguing, management and maintenance of Built Cultural Heritage History of Science, Technology and building techniques.

Dipartimento di afferenza

Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Ambiente Costruito (BEST)

Docenti afferenti

Full professor
Stefano Della Torre
Flavio Caroli
Associate professor
Lucio Franchini
Fabio Mercanti
Assistant professor
Valeria Pracchi