The partial reconstruction design of the Cathedral of Noto: Part II: The Naves System

Abstract The project of the partial reconstruction and preservation of the remaining parts of the Cathedral of Noto collapsed on 13 March, 1996, was approved by the Commission for the recovery of the architectural heritage of the Noto Valley, composed by representatives of the Cultural Heritage Administration and of the Civil Engineering Administration of Ragusa, Siracusa and Catania, by the Director of the Central Institute for Restoration of the Ministry of the Cultural Heritage and Environment, by the President of the National Group for the Seismic Safety and by representatives of administration territorially competent. The most important operations in the project are presented with reference to the nave system and the facade. A description is given starting from the intervention on the foundation system to the reconstruction of the pillars of the central nave, to the abutments, the roof of the central nave and the covering and domes of the lateral naves and to the facade and towers. The concept behind the design was to preserve and use the intrinsic resources of the parts, which did not fail, and to integrate the missing parts with demolitions and reconstruction only when necessary for the safety of the structure. The reconstructed parts will not speak an extraneous language with respect to that of the original construction, but, where possible, they constitute its natural, coherent evolution.