Large-Scale Analysis of Masonry Bell Towers in Naples

Masonry bell towers often represent a distinctive element of the Italian landscape. Their different typological, constructive, and structural peculiarities, along with the great exposure given by their relevant artistic value, make them both structurally and seismically vulnerable. Since the conservation of masonry bell towers requires a multidisciplinary approach, the PREVENT project (Integrated PRocedure for assEssing and improVing the resiliENce of existing masonry bell Towers on a territorial scale) aims at defining a two-level procedure for assessment and enhancement, at both a territorial and architectural scale. In this paper, the preliminary results that emerged from the first census carried out on a surveyed population of 56 masonry bell towers in the city of Naples (Italy), are presented. A classification has been made from a geometric-typological point of view, in order to frame their structural peculiarities. Also, preliminary assessments of the dynamic behaviour of a sub-sample of 40 masonry tower bell towers (i.e. excluding the bell-gables and double tower types) have been carried out. Further analyses will allow the elaboration of “resilience” indexes, as synthetic indicators of the architectural, historic, and cultural value, as well as of the structural safety, of the considered bell towers.