Nine years after the 6.5-magnitudeearthquake that destroyed more than 80 percent of the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia on Oct. 30, 2016, the works marking the conclusion of the long “path of rebirth” of the city’s iconic monument and its reopening for worship have been presented. The entire process of design, implementation of the works and testing was followed by theOffice of the Special Superintendent for the areas affected by the 2016 earthquake, led since 2024 by Claudia Cenci, who acted as the implementing party and contracting station, also taking care of the reporting of expenses related to community funds.
Decisive element for the start of the project was the “the act of address for the elaboration of the preliminary document for the design of the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia,” prepared by the Commission chaired by Antonio Paolucci in which Giovanni Carbonara also took part. It resulted in a “design solution that would contemplate the relocation of the historical material recovered from the collapses, enhance the surviving historical-artistic testimonies and the frescoes that emerged from the collapsed walls,” carrying out a very complex reconstruction intervention in compliance with the disciplines of conservative restoration, aware of the historical, artistic, cultural and devotional value of the property itself.
The intervention, for a total amount of € 12,134,821.42, was financed by the European funds POR-FESR 2014-2020 made available by the Region of Umbria, under an agreement between the Ministry of Culture and theOffice of the Extraordinary Commissioner for the 2016 Earthquake Reconstruction, now headed by Guido Castelli, with the technical sponsorship of Eni. The work, entrusted to CoBAR, was carried out from December 2021 and was divided into two performance lots. The first lot, by the Ministry of Culture, involved structural work and the recomposition of the architectural envelope, which was completed in November 2023, in accordance with the guidelines of the MiC Steering Committee. On the other hand, the second lot, carried out with the technical support of Eni, involved the restoration of the surfaces and decorative apparatus, as well as the plant and functional upgrading of the building.
The complexity of the project was managed by the interdisciplinary working group coordinated by the single project manager Paolo Iannelli, which allowed a constant connection between the various phases of investigation, design, execution and testing, ensuring synergy among the administrations involved. The direction of the works and scientific direction were entrusted to officials of the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per l’Umbria, now headed by Superintendent Francesca Valentini, with the support of external experts-architects, structural engineers, restorers and plant engineers. Director of works was Vanessa Squadroni, assisted by Gabriella Sabatini for archaeological aspects and Giovanni Luca Delogu for historical-artistic ones. Fundamental also was the collaboration with H.E. Monsignor Renato Boccardo and the Diocese of Spoleto-Norcia, the owner of the property, as well as the constant support of the community of Norcia, which accompanied every phase of the work with participation, affection and active presence during the public openings of the construction site.
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| Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia reopens for worship, nine years after earthquake destroyed it |
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