Territorial risks and religious cultural heritage: a swift methodology for risk assessment to support prevention

Territorial risks are continuously putting architectural heritage under pressure. In recent decades, the study of the relationship between catastrophes and cultural heritage has been a central issue in scientific debate. However, for a long time, academic research primarily focused on risk assessment, quantifying architectural damage, and developing technical strategies for the protection of single structures. More recently, research has expanded to include the effects of extreme events on the social and identity values of these assets, as well as the local economic sustainability of heritage preservation. Consequently, research on adaptation strategies, methodologies, and other tools for heritage protection increasingly requires comprehensive preliminary evaluations of the relationships among structures, territories, and reference communities. In a framework that considers heritage as a cultural-territorial system, the development of multidisciplinary and multiscale methodologies to support decision-making processes for protection is becoming increasingly essential. This paper presents the results of a research project focused on the protection of religious architectural heritage against territorial risks. It introduces a methodology for the swift assessment of churches that are more vulnerable to certain extreme events. The developed methodology serves as a strategic tool for decision-makers in defining priorities and strategies for the prevention and safeguarding of at-risk religious heritage. The discussion highlights the application of this methodology to churches in case studies located in Piedmont, Emilia Romagna and Campania (Italy), while providing sufficient detail to replicate the approach for other categories of heritage. It also emphasizes the fundamental role of a multidisciplinary research approach in addressing the challenges of protecting cultural heritage against natural risks.