The Preventive Maintenance of The Religious Heritage of the City of Matera

The paper summarizes some results obtained during a research activity focused on product and process innovation for the maintenance, conservation, and sustainable restoration of cultural heritage and carried out on the religious architectural heritage of the Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. The experimental activities were carried out with a multidisciplinary approach involving other Italian universities, the Soprintendenza Archeologica Belle Arti e Paesaggio della Basilicata, the Archdiocese of Matera and Irsina, industrial partners, market companies of restoration products and technologies as well as restoration work companies. The paper reports on some experimental activities carried out in the Church of San Pietro Barisano concerning new technology to prevent rising damp and preventive maintenance.