Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Monitoring of Modena’s UNESCO site at the heart of MADLab-ER meeting

Monitoring of Modena’s UNESCO site, centred on the Cathedral and the Ghirlandina complex, will be the main theme of the fourth and final day of MADLab-ER | Lessons from the 2012 Earthquake , dedicated to tools for understanding and overseeing historic heritage, as well as analysing how buildings behave over time.

MADLab-ER – Materials and Diagnostics Laboratory Emilia-Romagna – is a research and experimental laboratory focused on the study of materials, structures and the built heritage, with particular emphasis on conservation, restoration and seismic risk prevention. Its work brings together universities across the region, public bodies and institutions specialising in the analysis and diagnostics of historic buildings. The laboratory studies earthquake damage, reconstruction techniques, and structural monitoring—such as that carried out on Modena Cathedral—while also promoting professional training and knowledge dissemination. The four events organised in university cities across Emilia-Romagna form part of this wider framework.

The fourth and final meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday 9 April 2026 at Modena City Hall (Piazza Grande 16). It forms part of the programme promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Regional Reconstruction Agency and MADLab-ER, entitled “The Days of the Earthquake. Lessons from the Tragedy. The Experience of the Emilia Earthquake After the Darkest Hour”, and will focus on “Stories from the Field: Monitoring Modena’s UNESCO Site.”

The Modena event represents the concluding stage of three previous meetings, which addressed the issue of damage (University of Parma – Lesson 1), its management (University of Ferrara – Lesson 2), and international comparisons (University of Bologna – Lesson 3). In Modena, the emphasis will be on monitoring as the key tool for protecting historic heritage.

The UNESCO site in Modena, which has been subject to monitoring activities since 2003, will be the central focus of the day. The initiative will offer an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the methods and applications of this important tool for analysis and interpretation.

Following institutional greetings—featuring contributions from the Modena Superintendency represented by Eugenia Valacchi, the scientific society SIRA, as well as the Municipality, the Diocese and professional associations—the day will open with a dialogue between Professor Alessandro Capra (Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, Unimore) and Enrico Cocchi, former Director of the Regional Reconstruction Agency.

The first part of the morning will be devoted to an analysis of the UNESCO complex. Francesca Piccinini, coordinator of the site from 2005 to 2025, will outline its development, while architect Elena Silvestri, Rossella Cadignani from the Municipality of Modena, and Professor Stefano Lugli (Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, Unimore) will present the diagnostic investigations carried out on the Cathedral and the Ghirlandina. The topic of monitoring will be explored further by Professors Alessandro Capra (Unimore) and Donato Sabia (Politecnico di Torino).

This will be followed by a focus on the structural assessment of the cathedral–tower complex, with contributions from Tomaso Trombetti (University of Bologna) and Angelo Di Tommaso, Emeritus of the Bologna Academy of Sciences. The discussion will then turn to future developments in monitoring systems, with contributions from Cristina Castagnetti and Loris Vincenzi (Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, Unimore), together with Giuseppe Mucci from the Municipality of Modena.

The day will conclude with guided visits to the UNESCO site in the afternoon. The event is supported by the Italian Society for the Restoration of Architecture (SIRA) and is accredited by the Federation of Architects of Emilia-Romagna. Attendance at the morning session, either in person or online, entitles participants to 4 continuing professional development (CPD) credits.

Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng