The 2012 Earthquake: an Abacus of Surveys and Interventions in Mantua Churches

After the 2012 earthquake, over 40% of Mantua's churches were damaged due to their architectural vulnerability. A five-year survey and restoration project, led by the Diocese of Mantua and Politecnico di Milano, documented 25 churches to guide interventions such as shoring, retrofitting, and restoration. The study identified key factors contributing to damage, including unfamiliarity with seismic-resistant construction practices and poor maintenance, which informed repair techniques like mesh and plaster vault repairs, wood/steel wedge injections, and masonry gap filling. Of the 129 damaged churches, 115 have since been fully restored, providing a model for future seismic risk management in historic structures while prioritizing cultural heritage preservation.

Fregonese, L., Campera, A., Scala, B., & Adami, A. (2017). THE 2012 EARTHQUAKE: AN ABACUS OF SURVEYS AND INTERVENTIONS IN MANTUA CHURCHES. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLII-5/W1, 31–38. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-xlii-5-w1-31-2017