From the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering of the National Research Council (CNR IGAG) to schools: introducing cultural heritage into classrooms to foster awareness about natural risk prevention

Abstract

Through the establishment of an educational laboratory, the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering of the National Research Council (CNR IGAG) intends to provide the students of lower and upper secondary schools with an understanding of the concept of seismic and hydrogeological hazards and risks, and disseminate the knowledge on mitigation measures aimed at reducing the impact of disasters on cultural heritages (e.g., earthquakes and floods). A prestigious case study addressed in this context is offered by the city of Rome and the central archaeological area including the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill, since: i) three arches of the second ring of the Colosseum collapsed in 1703 due to an earthquake; ii) the underground structures of the Colosseum were flooded in 2011 when, after a very intense rainfall event, the hypogea were flooded to more than six metres from the ground. Starting with historical memory, the students will be encouraged to actively participate in the natural disasters preparedness throughout the use of analogue and digital models and solutions for the study of the Earth sciences focused on natural risks.