EXPO 2015: New ad campaign for the Riace Bronzes lying on the ENEA anti-seismic basements

“Are you going to Expo Milano 2015? Then you have to visit the Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria. There you will have the chance to appreciate the astonishing statues of the Riace Bronzes, lying on one-of-a-kind anti-seismic basements in the world, designed and built by ENEA –the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Economic Development”. This is, in short, the ad-invitation published on some European engineering and architecture magazines, created by HSH, the company which in Italy distributes the software specifically used to design the two anti-seismic basements.

Written in English and French, the one-page advertising focuses on the special protection basements developed at the ENEA Casaccia Research Centre by Gerardo De Canio, the engineer heading the ‘Materials and Components Qualification Laboratory’. The basement is made of two overlapping Carrara-marble supporting blocks separated by two spheres, which ensure protection from earthquake damage. In case of a seismic event, the lower block absorbs the quake, while the upper one is isolated from any seismic stresses, so that the statues only receive a negligible part of the earth movement.

“The system – says De Canio – is particularly suitable to protecting high free-standing statues, of which there is plenty in Italy. One of them is the Michelangelo’s David in Florence which, just like the Bronzes, could benefit from actual earthquake protection, thanks to the agreement co-signed by ENEA and the Museum Pole of Florence, providing for the  design and supply of the special anti-seismic basements”.

For more information:

Gerardo De Canio gerardo.decanio@enea.it

Balancing on the earthquake
article published on Energia Ambiente e Innovazione no. 4/2014
Special Issue Knowledge, Diagnostics and Preservation of Cultural Heritage