Restauro delle strutture archeologiche del Castrum del Parco Archeologico di Castelseprio (Varese)

The Archaeological Park of Castelseprio includes the remains of a Castrum that developed in the V century A.D. on military pre-existing structures dating back to the IV century A.D., with the parish church of San Giovanni, other cult buildings, residential and service structures. The Castrum was surrounded by turreted walls, important sections of which are preserved. The site covers an area of about 130,000 square metres and is located at the northern end of the territory of the Municipality of Castelseprio, on a plateau overlooking the mid Olona Valley. The Castrum and village complex is part of the UNESCO serial site “The Lombards in Italy. Places of Power (568-774 A.D.)”, registered in the World Cultural Heritage List since 2011. The archaeological knowledge of the site is extensive and constantly improving. It has formed the basis for the definition of the morphological and stratigraphic characteristics of the elevations. Basing on a precise survey of the constituent materials of the structures, with no protective constructions, a mapping of the degradation pathologies was drawn up.The intervention is aimed at ensuring the restoration and maintenance of the archaeological remains of the Castrum, which, due to their geographical-physical position, are subject to a strong biotic pressure and to damages due to their exposure and climatic conditions. It is therefore planned to carry out a conservative restoration work on the archaeological structures of the site, giving priority, on the basis of the existing funding, to those areas featuring the most critical situations. The executive project identifies the scheduling of the future maintenance works in order to guarantee the effectiveness of the restoration works carried out over time.This important operation will make it possible to increase the usability of the site, rising the preservation level of the protected heritage.