Risk Analysis of Stratified Landscapes: Toward an Integrated System for Documenting and Managing Cultural Heritage in Southern Sicily

This study presents the preliminary results of the design and implementation of an ad- vanced data management infrastructure developed to enhance the study, interpretation, and preservation of historical and archaeological contexts. Conducted within the frame- work of the PNRR CHANGES Project, Spoke 6, the initiative promotes the integration of scientific research, digital innovation, and cultural heritage enhancement. One of the prin- cipal outcomes of the project is the development and configuration of ARPAS (“Analisi del Rischio nel Paesaggio Stratificato” or “Risk Analysis of Stratified Landscape”), a cen- tralised Geospatial Database capable of ensuring reliable data archiving, real-time analyt- ical processing, and collaborative information sharing among researchers and institutions engaged in cultural heritage management. The paper discusses key methodological chal- lenges related to the heterogeneity of available documentation and the limitations of ex- isting tools currently used for heritage research and protection in the Italian, and particu- larly Sicilian, context. At the same time, it highlights the potential of the proposed system in terms of data accessibility, verifiability, and query ability, as well as its ability to inte- grate and interrelate heterogeneous datasets within a multilayered, interdisciplinary framework for cultural landscape research. The pilot deployment focuses on a geographic area in southeastern Sicily, drawing upon documentation of the cultural landscape across four provinces—Agrigento, Catania, Ragusa, and Siracusa—and integrating archaeologi- cal, architectural, and environmental data to support risk assessment and heritage con- servation strategies. Results appear to demonstrate ARPAS’s potential to improve the completeness of information, manage stratification across temporal layers, and support predictive and preventive analyses for cultural heritage at the landscape level.