The knowledge for the seismic safety evaluation. An experimental test on Palazzo Lanfranchi in Matera.

The paper shows the methodological approach and the activities carried out during the cognitive analysis carried on Palazzo Lanfranchi in Matera - the seventeenth-century seminary of the Matera diocese, nowadays National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Basilicata. Starting from a research on the existing data (both archival and bibliographic) - in order to compare written documentation to the present condition - an accurate on field check has been executed. Consequently a specific analysis has been carried out on the masonry works using ND Tests. The main core of the research is however constitutes by the definition of a peculiar interpretative tools able to achieve a timely identification of structural weaknesses, as well as of strengthening of the masonry building, useful also for the structural modelling needed for numerical safety evaluation. This is the so-called rilievo critico, a special graphic depiction in which all the data on the studied building are collected. The focus of the research is on the importance of an accurate “path of knowledge”, i.e. the acquisition of the pertinent information on the building construction and quality as outlined by the Linee Guida per la valutazione e riduzione del rischio sismico del patrimonio culturale issued by the Italian Cultural Heritage Ministry. The analysis of Palazzo Lanfranchi has been used to explore in detail the cognitive procedure proposed in the guidelines and finally some reflections and interpretative remarks are proposed on this issue.