Historic stone portals in the ancient centre of Tropea, Italy: inventory and state of conservation

This article illustrates the results of a multidisciplinary study carried out in the ancient centre of Tropea in Calabria, southern Italy. The study has two main aspects: the inventory of valuable stone portals found on various historic buildings and an evaluation of their state of conservation. In the research 46 prestigious portals were examined, classified and mapped, and brief descriptions made of both stylistic typologies and peculiar characteristics typical to such ancient architectural features. Their state of conservation was evaluated on the basis of semi-quantitative indexes including visual observations and low impact mechanical tests in order to help understand how best to preserve them. The collected data contribute to an increase in the knowledge about the region’s built heritage and its continuing preservation, and provide a good starting point for further in-depth investigations.