Keeping the Equilibrium: The Static Aspects of the Restoration Project: The Case Study of the Mother Church of San Cataldo (Sicily)

The Mother Church of San Cataldo (Sicily) has always been affected by structural problems, today still evident. Established in an area characterized by a geological heterogeneity it was over time subjected to restoration work that caused additional weakness. The study carried by the authors of this paper has allowed experimentally use 3D laser scanning to support the analysis of decays and structural damages of this monumental masonry construction, combined and integrated with the essential historical research and the visual observation. The precise identification of building diseases and especially of the causes that determine their occurrence is an inevitable prerequisite for the definition of restoration work targeted and mutually cooperating to the preservation of cultural heritage for the sake of future generations.