The facades of L’Aquila: reversibility and compatibility in a restoration project. The case of San Silvestro Church
The restoration project here presented is related to some consolidation works aiming at reducing the seismic
vulnerability of the San Silvestro church façade, in L’Aquila. The earthquake of 6th April 2009 revealed
some façades vulnerability in the so-called “crater area”. In particular, their quadrangular shape at the edge
of double-pitched roofs buildings made them even more vulnerable. These architectural uses – normally
adopted on most 13th and 14th-century buildings – leave considerable portions of the triangular-shaped
masonry exposed to stress, since they are not anchored to the masonry behind. During the seismic action,
they are subject to strong bending stresses, which may lead to their collapse. The restoration intervention
has been an attempt to mediate the problems related to the different design hypotheses. The solution
adopted through the construction of a counter-facade spur has been investigated from various points of
view: from the vulnerability reduction during the seismic phase to the compatibility evaluation of the new
element within the pre-existing structure to considerations regarding its insertion in a historic context.
Particular attention has been paid to make the intervention reversible, or better still, to the possibility of
creating a work with a high degree of reworkability.
