Knowledge and dating for preservation of historical and cultural significance of the building: the case study of the medieval Castello quarter in Cagliari (XVII-XIX century)

The present study illustrates an interdisciplinary methodology developed with the specific purpose of preserving historical and cultural authenticity and significance of the urban building. The case study is Castello, one of the four ancient quarters of Cagliari, founded in medieval times and intensively modified between XVII and XIX century. Despite the substantial transformation process occurred to buildings, former foundations and structures have often been preserved during centuries, and still conserved and visible. Moreover, the advanced state of decay which affects many edifices allowed stratigraphic investigations and a deep study of the masonries, both for materials and techniques. Crossing data belonging from archival sources with the on-site surveys it has been possible to identify chronological benchmarks. This result is very useful for dating other buildings and consequently to promote their conservation. To carry out the research, a multidisciplinary team was composed, with experts in preservation, history and petrography