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Heritage
Special Issues
Acoustical Heritage: Characteristics and Preservation
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Acoustical Heritage: Characteristics and Preservation

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 2744

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Antonella Bevilacqua

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Architecture, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
Interests: concert hall; reverberation; cultural heritage; acoustics; sound measurement; acoustic characteristics
Dr. Angela Bellia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Heritage Science—National Research Council, 80134 Napoli, Italy
Interests: archaeomusicology; sonic heritage; soundscape; digital heritage; archaeoacoustics; archaeology of sound; musical and dance performances; auditory archaeology; aural experiences

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of interactive tools aimed to involve visitors as “soundwalkers” of virtual reconstructions related to archaeological sites and places of historical-cultural and architectural interest, can open new research perspectives on the relationship between sound and multisensory interaction. Over the last few years, it has been possible to experience new opportunities for multisensory design that combines modeling tools and techniques with Virtual Reality experiences in the acoustic field with the full involvement of the visitor’s perceptual apparatus.

Therefore, this Special Issue will focus on how the immersive multisensory experience –taking in consideration in particular the interaction between sight and hearing in virtual reconstructions - can provide a deeper knowledge of cultural identities and spaces where sound—as a set of music, voices, ambient sounds and noises—was produced and perceived. Furthermore, by encouraging the investigation on “sonic heritage”, this Special Issue aims to contextualize and enhance the study on anthropophony, geophony and biophony in the past and in the present, and on “digital audible history” in order to consider them as cultural heritage to be known, preserved and disseminated.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Archaeology;
  • Acoustic engineering;
  • Acoustic ecosystems;
  • Archeology of sound or sound archaeology;
  • Anthropology of sound and acoustemology;
  • Multisensory communication;
  • 3D modeling and virtual heritage;
  • Acoustic design;
  • Sound design in storytelling;
  • Ecoacoustics;
  • Sound arts;
  • Video games.

Dr. Antonella Bevilacqua
Dr. Angela Bellia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ancient theatres
  • acoustics
  • intangible sounds
  • virtual heritage
  • sonic heritage
  • aural heritage
  • aural architecture
  • soundscape
  • sonic experience

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4416 KiB  
Article
Discover the Acoustics of Vanvitelli Architecture in the Royal Palace of Caserta
by Gino Iannace, Ilaria Lombardi, Ernesto Scarano and Amelia Trematerra
Heritage 2025, 8(4), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8040142 - 16 Apr 2025
Viewed by 165
Abstract
In this paper, the acoustic characteristics of the most important rooms of the Royal Palace of Caserta are presented. The palace, built in the XVIII century as a residence for the King of Naples, consists of numerous rooms dedicated to court life. The [...] Read more.
In this paper, the acoustic characteristics of the most important rooms of the Royal Palace of Caserta are presented. The palace, built in the XVIII century as a residence for the King of Naples, consists of numerous rooms dedicated to court life. The acoustic properties of the rooms have been studied according to ISO 3382. For each room, the average values of reverberation time (T30), clarity (C80), definition (D50), and Speech Transmission Index (STI) are reported. The acoustic issues of the rooms are highlighted as the understanding of acoustics during the period in which the palace was constructed was limited. While the rudiments of Vitruvius’ theories were known, the good acoustics of the rooms resulted primarily from the intuition and experience of the architects who designed them. The building materials—marble and plaster—contribute to the long reverberation times in the rooms. Special attention was given to the elliptical vault where musicians were positioned, the Palatine Chapel, the theatre used for court entertainment, and the Royal Throne Room. The study applies methods and techniques already seen in the literature and already reported in other published papers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustical Heritage: Characteristics and Preservation)
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23 pages, 6348 KiB  
Article
A Single Acoustic Quantity Index as Part of an Early-Stage Digitalized Procedure for the Restoration of Baroque Theatres to Be Used as Multipurpose Spaces
by Maria Cairoli and Gino Iannace
Heritage 2024, 7(12), 6749-6771; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7120312 - 28 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 727
Abstract
Historic theatres with a horseshoe shape, the so-called baroque theatres, constitute an architectural heritage and are of enormous importance. For these reasons, this paper aimed to identify a single acoustic quantity index as part of an early-stage digitalized procedure to improve the management [...] Read more.
Historic theatres with a horseshoe shape, the so-called baroque theatres, constitute an architectural heritage and are of enormous importance. For these reasons, this paper aimed to identify a single acoustic quantity index as part of an early-stage digitalized procedure to improve the management of the complexity of their restoration process, both better preserving the original room acoustic field and making it variable for new different uses of the theatre space. The procedure introduces technical policies and design tools in a BIM execution plan (BEP) and is supported by a digitalization that inserts the restoration of theatres into industry 4.0. This choice was taken according to the new design goals and the new Procurement Code Directives, which underlie the use of digital technologies in this context. The described acoustic single number quantity, called a “multipurpose index”, summarizes the main room acoustic goals for when a baroque theatre is used as a multipurpose space after renovation, specifying and better controlling the requested room acoustic quality for people other than acoustics specialists, such as theater directors, and more generally for the management. As an example of this possible transition, the case study of “Teatro Ristori” is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustical Heritage: Characteristics and Preservation)
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17 pages, 7921 KiB  
Article
New Acoustic Design for the Piscina Mirabilis Located nearby the Port of Misenum
by Antonella Bevilacqua, Gino Iannace, Emanuele Navarra, Nicola Manzo and Luis Gomez-Agustina
Heritage 2024, 7(8), 4423-4439; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7080208 - 17 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1021
Abstract
Many heritage buildings from ancient Rome are being refurbished based on their original plan’s structure. One of them is the piscina mirabilis located nearby in Naples, which was a cistern used by the Romans to collect drinkable water for the navy waiting in [...] Read more.
Many heritage buildings from ancient Rome are being refurbished based on their original plan’s structure. One of them is the piscina mirabilis located nearby in Naples, which was a cistern used by the Romans to collect drinkable water for the navy waiting in the port of Misenum. The piscina mirabilis has similar architectural characteristics to a “cathedral”; however, its current precarious architectural state is the result of high levels of humidity that have caused the proliferation of mold on its vertical and horizontal surfaces over the centuries. Acoustic measurements were conducted inside the piscina mirabilis, highlighting an existing condition of the room being very reverberant, not suitable for occasional speech and conversations. The design proposed by the authors involves some mitigation solutions for the acoustics, mainly focused on controlling the low–medium frequencies and the realization of a restoration project consisting of a raised timber-floored walkway that runs along the perimeter walls, with the addition of water covering the existing floor as a natural element dominating the room volume, which represents the primary function of the building in antiquity. A waterfall was designed to be on the northern side wall. Acoustic studies were an important part of the refurbishment strategy, and a mitigation solution was devised to control medium–low frequencies by using inflated balloons of different sizes that were suspended from the ceiling vaults instead of widely used acoustic panels. The proposed strategy lowered the reverberation time by 3–4 s to accommodate a minimal level of conversational understanding. Such a solution is appropriate for this heritage building as well as other future conservation projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustical Heritage: Characteristics and Preservation)
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