Evaluating the freeze-thaw vulnerability of soapstone monuments and geoheritage sites in the Parco del Paradiso (Chiavenna, Italy).

Abstract

This study investigates the vulnerability of soapstone monuments and ancient quarries in the Parco del Paradiso, Chiavenna, to freeze-thaw cycles. It employs climate-based damage functions to assess the risk of weathering-induced damage. A crucial aspect of the assessment involves the study of the homogeneity and trends in the selected climate data sources in the area of the case study. These data sources are ground-based weather stations, and in-situ installed temperature-humidity data loggers. The findings of this contribution underscore the significance of appropriately chosen reference climatic series and validation tests in ensuring the accuracy of the climate signal to analyze freeze-thaw statistics for specific cultural heritage sites. These insights are essential not only for supporting reliable assessment of the vulnerability of these invaluable heritage sites, which have played a vital role in local architecture and trade since Roman times, and for the successive development of long-term preventive conservation and maintenance strategies.