Seismic vulnerability assessment of ten bell towers in Naples

Italian landscape is characterised by large spread of monumental constructions, which may represent a driving force for the development of local territories. In this context, bell towers are notably present in any town, and their artistic cultural value must be preserved, in particular by enhancing structural safety and fruition for inhabitants and visitors. Within this vision, the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” has funded the research project PREVENT, aimed at the evaluation and conservation of historical masonry bell towers, assessing and increasing their structural, physical and mechanical resilience, in order to enhance their fruition opportunities. In this paper, several masonry bell towers surveyed in the city of Naples are analysed and assessed through a simplified procedure suggested by the Italian building code and implemented in an in-house software package. The bell tower characteristics governing the seismic vulnerability are identified, and specific further developments envisaged.