THE KNOWLEDGE PATH FOR THE DEFINITION OF STRUCTURAL SAFETY: COCCHI SERRISTORI PALACE IN FLORENCE, ITALY

The issues related to the security of cultural heritage are closely linked to the knowledge path reached, where the assessment of structural performance is the last step. This path is very important to limit the uncertainties concerning the evaluation of the building. In recent decades, many national and international codes have incorporated the definition of cognitive path, in particular for the historical-architectural heritage. In this context, the Guidelines developed by the MIBACT in 2011 trace a clear path of what information must be acquired to reach different knowledge levels that are flanked by evaluation levels. In this work, the knowledge path conducted on a historical monumental building located in the historic centre of Florence will be analysed and illustrated. The object of the evaluation is Cocchi Serristori Palace, partially founded on pre-existing Roman buildings. The knowledge process conducted on this building has involved many different disciplines, in order to acquire the information required for understanding the construction techniques and the relationships between the various structural parts. The research comprehended investigations on the subsoil, on the historical asset of the building over the centuries, and geometric surveys. Then a diagnostic investigation campaign was carried out, with semi-destructive methodologies, aimed to identify the different masonry typologies used over the centuries and their characterization. The knowledge path carried out allowed to obtain all the necessary information for the next phase of structural performance evaluation.