Brochure "Gruppo di Ricerca RICH" (RISCHI NATURALI, AMBIENTALI E ANTROPICI DEL PATRIMONIO CULTURALE)

The Scientific Research for Cultural Heritage protection and preventive conservation is a priority at National and European level with important economic, social and cultural effects. To understand and thus prevent risky situations and the degradation processes, a depth understanding of Heritage materials characteristics and of their interactions with environmental forcings is necessary. The Research Group RICH focuses on the study of the physical, chemical and biological deterioration mechanisms that deal with the interaction between the Cultural Heritage and the Environment, both indoors and outdoors. The objective is the degradation and damage assessment on historic, archaeological and architectural artefacts that suffer on various spatial and temporal scales, of the climate and microclimate, pollutants and anthropic influence. The Research activity aims to assess, predict and manage natural, environmental and anthropogenic hazards induced by climate change on the Cultural Heritage, including the impact of extreme events. The Activity focuses both on experimental Research, carrying out tests and measurement campaigns in laboratory and in field, and on technological innovation through the development, the implementation and the assessment of new methods and physical / mathematical models able to describe the evolution of the environmental forcings cause of artworks damages. Scientific knowledge, technological innovation and the development of new materials will provide useful tools for stakeholders to apply effective intervention strategies and plan on time proper preventive conservation measurements to increase the enhancement and fruition of Cultural Heritage. The current state of knowledge in this field highlights the need of specific and sustainable risk assessments on several time windows in order to develop effective protection and adaptation strategies on short, medium and long term. The assessment of the Cultural Heritage and landscape vulnerability and the risks is the primary issue of the RICH Research Group that develops its activity through the coordination and participation of European, National and regional research projects.