IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A
Abstract
The paper explores the non-destructive experimental conservation assessment of the Church of San Pietro Martire in Verona, a key example of Veronese Gothic architecture. Also known as San Giorgetto, the church is famous for its significant 15th-century interior fresco cycles, including Giovanni Maria Falconetto’s “The Hunt of the Unicorn”. Built between 1282 and 1350 near the Basilica of Sant’Anastasia and the Scaliger Tombs and originally part of the convent, the Dominican order ceded it to the Knights of Brandenburg in 1450. Secularized in the early 19th century, the church fell into disuse, despite the associated Scaliger Tombs shaped Verona’s Gothic imagery, influencing 19th-century international thinkers such as John Ruskin. The study adopts an innovative multidisciplinary approach based on data digitalization to evaluate the conservation status of the church. Led by the Università Iuav di Venezia, in collaboration with the local office of the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Verona, it combines laser-scanning surveying and experimental analyses, as well as structural modelling, with historical research to provide a sound methodology for the analysis of unused religious heritage. The methodological foundation of the research was the correlation of historical and iconographic data with the scientific results emerging from the in-situ campaigns for a comprehensive evaluation in order to build a digital semantic model that can respond to the cause-effect relationships and identify critical issues to design a plan of maintenance and preservation of the church.
Emanuela Sorbo, architect and PhD in Architectural Restoration (SSAV Iuav – Cà Foscari) is a Restoration Professor at Iuav since 2012. A former Architectural Officer at Ministry of Culture, she is member of the Doctoral College at Cà Foscari and at the Iuav Specialization School council. She coordinates the MATESCA research group, oversees cultural heritage conservation projects, and directs a series for Marsilio Editor.
Gianluca Spironelli, architect and PhD student at Sapienza Università di Roma within the National Research Doctorate in Heritage Science. At Università Iuav di Venezia conducts research activity as a research fellow and is involved as a teaching assistant in Architectural Restoration and as a student at Scuola di specializzazione Iuav in Beni Architettonici e del Paesaggio (SSIBAP). His academic interests focus on cultural and landscape heritage preventive conservation through a transdisciplinary and systemic approach, integrating Digital Humanities and computational skills for the semantic modelling and digitalisation of architectural heritage, to promote its conservation, management, and valorization.
Tommaso Moretto is an architect and PhD candidate in Architectural Restoration at the Iuav University of Venice. He contributes to several academic research groups focused on heritage studies and is a teaching assistant in restoration courses. Alongside his academic endeavours, he collaborates with the Italian Ministry’s Superintendence offices and the Veneto Region on studies and initiatives to develop the regional landscape plan. His research interests range from building-scale analysis to landscape-scale investigations, with particular emphasis on historical research, the concept of authenticity, and strategies for its preservation. His work bridges academic research and practical heritage conservation efforts.
11:45 am - 1:15 pm
Wednesday 25th June, 2025