Two Renaissance churches in Pozzuoli (Naples), threatened by seismic movements that have long affected the Campi Flegrei area, will be secured and restored thanks to a new institutional collaboration agreement. The document, signed today in Rome at the Collegio Romano, sanctions the joint commitment of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry for Civil Protection and Sea Policies and the Government’s Extraordinary Commissioner for the Phlegraean Fields.
Signing the agreement were Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies Nello Musumeci, Government Extraordinary Commissioner for the Phlegraean Fields Fulvio Maria Soccodato and MiC Department Head for Cultural Heritage Protection Luigi La Rocca. The stated goal is to accelerate the consolidation and restoration works of the church of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anthony, for which 1 million 720 thousand euros have been allocated, and the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione, recipient of 2 million 400 thousand euros in funding.
Culture Minister Giuli emphasized how the agreement represents a confirmation of the MiC’s attention to the territories of Pozzuoli and the Phlegraean Fields: “This signing today,” he said, “is a confirmation of how much the MiC cares about the preservation, enhancement and protection of the territories of Pozzuoli and the Phlegraean Fields, addressing with depth the issues of primary and secondary volcanism and earthquakes. The MIC is doing its part in making itself available for the protection of buildings and works of art with constant monitoring. We are sending a message that has added human and civil value, as well as institutional value in a fruitful alliance with Minister Musumeci, who is the owner of everything that has to do with measuring risk factors. At a time when the earthquake swarm and the territory’s legitimate demand for a state presence must find an added element of strength.”
Minister Musumeci remarked how these interventions, technically defined as “complementary,” are in reality fundamental for the safeguarding of an identity and historical heritage. “I am convinced that securing a cultural asset in an area at risk,” he said, “also means preserving a testimony of civilization, protecting the identity and historical heritage of a community and making it less vulnerable to seismic danger. This is why I welcome the agreement with my colleague Alessandro Giuli, Minister of Culture, for a collaboration that consolidates and enhances the value of our Structural Prevention Plan on public-owned buildings in the Phlegraean Fields, entrusted to the management of the extraordinary commissioner.”
For his part, Fulvio Maria Soccodato explained how the Convention initiates an institutional collaboration that can make the implementation of interventions faster and more certain: “Thanks to the extraordinary regulations issued by the government to deal with the bradyseismic emergency in the Phlegraean Fields area,” he explained, “it is in fact possible to also give greater speed and certainty to the implementation of interventions already programmed by the Ministry to ensure the preservation of cultural heritage of worship of particular significance and that, at the same time, allow to increase the safety of the roadways functional to emergency planning for the removal of the population in case of need.”
The churches of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anthony and St. Mary of Consolation represent two significant examples of Puteolian Renaissance heritage. Their state of preservation has long been threatened by the phenomenon of bradyseism, characteristic of the Phlegraean area, which alternates between phases of ground uplift and subsidence withconsequent repercussions on historic buildings. In recent years, the seismic swarm affecting the area has accentuated the fragility of the structures, making consolidation work urgent.
The new institutional agreement not only provides economic resources, but introduces an operational method that combines the expertise of the Civil Defense, the supervision of the Extraordinary Commissioner’s Office, and the technical and scientific expertise of the Ministry of Culture. The agreement is part of a broader framework of strategies put in place by the state to strengthen the resilience of the Phlegrean territory, which is characterized by a particular geological complexity and a cultural heritage of great value.
|
|
| Phlegraean Fields, agreement to restore renaissance churches at seismic risk |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
