Researcher (RTDA) — Department of Physics
Microclimate risk assessment for the preventive conservation of cultural heritage
I study how the microclimate affects the conservation of cultural heritage, through in situ observations and dynamic hygrothermal simulations of the whole building. The underlying idea is simple: a cultural heritage object is a thermodynamic system that exchanges heat and matter with its surroundings, and these interactions can trigger or accelerate degradation processes. The work applies to the most varied settings – from churches to underground environments, from museums to historical archives, all the way to archaeological areas – with preventive conservation as its goal.
Among the most significant case studies is a project based on multi-year data on temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric particulate matter and CO2, in which I applied the analogue method as an early-warning tool, to anticipate risk conditions before they turn into damage.
Thanks to a network of collaborations with the various departments of our university, with archaeological parks and museums, and with international universities such as the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, we integrate environmental monitoring tools and dynamic simulation software for indoor microclimates, together with reanalysis data and future climate projections, to study how the microclimate will evolve up to 2100. We are looking for thesis students who are curious about the dynamics between climate and heritage, versatile in moving between monitoring data and simulations, and able to reason on time scales ranging from the past to 2100.
