INVESTIGATIONS AT THE FORMER PALACE OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF SAINTS BARTOLOMEA CAPITANIO AND VINCENZA GEROSA, LOVERO (SO)

The former palace of the nuns of Lovero represents an important element of the local historical-architectural heritage. The complex, in disuse since 1996, was sold in May 2022 by the municipal administration, which acquired it from the Congregation of the Sisters of Maria Bambina. The latter has animated the building for over a century with social, welfare and educational activities. The building has a “C” plan and is composed of several portions, built in different eras. The structures are made of mortar and stone masonry, with three levels above ground, an attic and, in some areas, a basement level.

In February, following the authorization of the competent Superintendency, an investigation campaign was launched aimed at characterizing the construction and stratigraphic typology of the floors and structural parts of the complex, with particular attention to the wooden elements of the roof.
Surveys were carried out on the foundations to determine their geometry, materials and depth of the installation plane, by means of excavations in adherence to the perimeter wall.
Subsequently, tests were carried out with a single flat jack that allowed us to detect the state of local stress in the walls and tests with double flat jacks to determine the mechanical characteristics of the masonry.
Sonic and ultrasonic investigations allowed us to extend the results obtained with the direct tests by evaluating the characteristics of the masonry by measuring the propagation time of the sonic waves.
Penetrometric tests were then carried out on mortar using the SRM 1.0 Penetrometer, which allowed us to estimate the mechanical resistance of the mortars in the wall joints, measuring the depth of penetration of a metal needle following controlled impacts.
The stratigraphy of walls and floors and the construction details were determined through internal inspections with a flexible videoendoscope equipped with a recording system and scanning using the georadar technique.
Surface hardness tests were carried out on the metal elements using an impact durometer, which allows the mechanical characteristics of the material to be indirectly estimated.
Finally, a structural analysis of the wooden elements of the roof frame was carried out: The visual inspection of the primary elements (beams, trusses, struts, purlins) allowed the state of conservation of the material to be classified and any critical points to be identified. This was accompanied by relative humidity measurements and penetrometric tests, carried out with Resistograph instrumentation, capable of identifying internal degradation and material alterations.

The diagnostic campaign conducted on the building represents a fundamental step in the evaluation of the state of conservation of the building and in the planning of any consolidation, recovery and enhancement interventions.