Natural Events Threatening the Cultural Heritage: Characterization, Prevention and Risk Management for a Sustainable Fruition

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to present a Special Issue focused on the natural threats affecting our cultural heritage. This, as a part of human history, represents a treasure deserving protection and careful management to ensure its transfer to the future generations. Both movable and immovable goods are often cultural tourism destinations, and their safe fruition is a priority for local administrators. Heritage sites are exposed to the impacts of natural and human-triggered catastrophic events, which threaten their integrity and may compromise their value. With specific reference to territories hosting examples of cultural heritage, in terms of monuments, religious/tourist sites or entire towns, the main risk factors include a wide spectrum of hazards, from geological to climatic. In this view, the aim of this Special Issue is to collect scientific studies on the investigation of either potential or occurred natural events and related implication on the sustainable fruition of the sites. Landslides, earthquakes, ground movements, avalanches, cyclones, storms, weathering, erosion, and volcanic activity are only some of the natural threats to cultural and historical locations or monuments and deserve in depth-studies for the characterization of the problem, prevention of a disaster, and risk management for a sustainable fruition.

In this Special Issue, technical studies, even carried out through innovative methodologies, are welcomed. Examples of main focuses are the definition of models, forecasts, monitoring, hazard, and risk assessment procedures, as well as multidisciplinary approaches for the characterization of the problem and proposal for mitigation measures. Case studies, hosting scientifically interesting data and procedures, contextualized in the international state of the art, are appreciated as well.

Dr. Simone Mineo
Guest Editor

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