The structural behaviour assessment of Golden Miles Vesuvian villas through a seismic-volcanic quick procedure

Since prehistoric times, human life has been influenced by natural disasters. Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions have been responsible for millions of deaths and their effects have often endangered the survival of entire civilizations. Certainly, among all catastrophic events, the earthquake has produced the largest number of victims: since 1900 to date, it is estimated that about six million people died following an earthquake [1]. In many regions, especially in the tropics, the zones at seismic risk are sites also of active volcanoes, there the eruptive hazard, characterized by different volcanic-induced phenomena, such as lava, air fall deposits, pyroclastic flows, flying debris, lahars, tsunamis, is added to the seismic one [2-7]. Aim of the paper is the application of a quick methodology useful to a global seismic-volcanic vulnerability assessment of the areas at risk, through a relative measure of the buildings weaknesses under effect of possible combinations of extreme events, considering also constructions belonging to cultural heritage. The procedure, inspired by multi-criteria decisional methods (MCDM), provides a vulnerability judgment at regional scale, on the basis of information obtained through a simple visual survey of buildings. The methodology is applied to the Vesuvian region, at great volcanic risk (Naples, Italy). The analyzed buildings sample is an important portion of the historical and artistic heritage of the area: the eighteenth-century Baroque and Rococo residences, known as Golden Mile Villas.