Le torri della Repubblica di Genova nella provincia di Savona (Liguria, Riviera di Ponente): caratteristiche costruttive e problematiche di conservazione

At the beginning of the XVIth century, the government of the Republic of Genoa built a series of fortifications along the Ligurian coast in order to guarantee greater security against possible incursions by enemy fleets. These are mostly coastal towers to which was given the task of marking the route to mariners and to quickly transmit alert on the possible arrival of enemy raids. These buildings are now only partially preserved: some of them have undergone adaptive-reuse interventions, others are totally abandoned and are in a state of advanced decay. The analysis of the constructive characteristics of these artifacts and of the behaviour of the materials over time represent an important and valid contribution to the pursuit of a more respectful, lasting and less expensive conservation of this interesting architectural heritage, largely widespread along the Italian coasts and that remind us past sailing ships and pirate raids. Therefore, the present contribution aims to focus on the analysis of the constructive techniques and materials that characterize the coastal towers built during the XVIth in the province of Savona (Italy), highlighting the existing close link between historic building and locally available materials and their conservation issues