VILLA ZERBI. THE APPLICATION OF A CRITICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF DISEASES

The national and international artistic heritage boasts the presence of a large number of buildings of extraordinary aesthetic and stylistic completeness, which are nevertheless neglected. In fact, it is not rare to see the remains of impressive architectural structures living in the reflection of their former austerity but strongly marked by their state of neglect and decay. This work aims to demonstrate the usefulness of the application of a critical and strict diagnostic plan, considering that cultural heritage must be conceived as an organism and that, as a consequence, it must be studied in a comprehensive manner in order to highlight its boundary conditions, identify existing diseases and carefully evaluate its conditions and state of conservation. The diagnostic procedure includes five macro-phases: context and setting of the building; data collection for anamnesis; collection of photo / graphic material; analytical investigations on materials and post-diagnostic propositions. Such an approach was applied to Villa Zerbi, a representative monumental building located on the seafront Promenade of Reggio Calabria. The structure was rebuilt on the ruins of an ancient baroque villa, which had been destroyed by the earthquake of 1908, and shows clear scattered signs of an advanced state of decay. To better characterize the situation and carry out a detailed diagnostic study, a few samples of the constituent material were taken. They allowed accurately analyzing the compositional structures of the building and evaluating its overall conditions.