L’arco di trionfo dei Carafa a Bruzzano: Approccio tecnico-scientifico alla conoscenza per guidare le azioni di restauro conservativo

The region Calabria has outstanding cultural heritage that expresses the succession of numerous civilizations over time, from prehistory to present day: from Bruttian and Sicel populations to the Magna Graecian colonization, the Roman domination, and the Byzantine, Norman-Swabian and Angevin civilizations. The historical and architectural heritage reflects the cultural stratification of the area, which shows through the monuments of extraordinary beauty erected by local populations. This is the case of the magnificent Triumphal Arch situated at the entrance of Bruzzano, a town in the Province of Reggio Calabria, which was built in the XVII century to symbolize the power of the Carafa family, the Dukes of the same town, and to express the devotion of the population towards them. Besides having a monumental structure, the triumphal arch has surfaces completely covered with frescoes. Unfortunately, its state of conservation is not appropriate to its value.