World Cultural Heritage Losses
This project records losses, damage, and destruction affecting World Cultural Heritage and other culturally significant places around the world. It...
cultural heritage protection
BIM/GIS Fire-Risk Models for Heritage: Why Interoperability Is Still the Core Problem
Recent research on BIM and GIS for heritage fire-risk assessment has produced promising results, but one issue continues to dominate...
Teotihuacán Shooting: a Warning for Heritage Security
On 20 April 2026, a shooting at the Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico turned a major heritage destination into the...
When Historic Spaces Become Event Venues: The Fire Risk Hidden Behind Special Occasions
From the Braidense controversy to Turin’s lesson, why dinners, catering, and temporary setups can turn a heritage interior into a...
The Cappella della Sindone Fire in Turin: When Restoration, Temporary Uses, and Fire Load Turn a Masterpiece into a Catastroph
The 1997 Turin fire shows how fragile heritage buildings become when temporary installations, electrical uncertainty, and delayed detection meet a...
Germany’s KulturGutRetter: Pioneering the First UCPM Cultural Heritage Response Unit (CHRU)
Summary Germany’s KulturGutRetter pioneers the first UCPM Cultural Heritage Response Unit (CHRU)—a self-sufficient team for rapid protection of cultural assets...
Review and Critique of UNESCO’s Fire Risk Management Guide
In a previous post (Fire Risk Management Guide (2024) Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage from Fire) , this platform has briefly...
EU and Climate Change Risk to Cultural Heritage
An April 2024 report from the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) highlights the growing threat that climate change poses to...
Treating Debris of Historical Value after an Earthquake
Over the last thousand years, at least 2,500 earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5 have hit Italy. At least...
St. Peter Basilica: an Exciting Digital Twin of Immense Proportions
Digital twin of historical buildings contribute to safety and emergency management. The Fabbrica di San Pietro, the institution responsible for...
Grenfell Fire Report – the Key Lessons for Existing Buildings Safety
The Grenfell Tower fire occurred at the 24-storey skyscraper, in the North Kensington district of London, on the night of...
Enhancing Fire Protection in Heritage Buildings: A Two-Decade Review
Over the past 20 years, the fire protection of heritage buildings in Sweden has seen significant improvements through the installation...
Flame retardant Textile Materials Vs Fire Hazards in Historic Buildings
One of the issues addressed during the Cost C17 Action "Fire Loss to Built Heritage" has been the role of...
Fire destroyed Historic Pier at Weston-super-Mare (UK)
Chris Borrison / The Grand Pier in flames On July 28, 2008, a huge fire has completely destroyed the partly wooden pier in...
Measuring the Impact of Fire Extinguisher Agents on Cultural Resource Materials – Final Report (2010)
One of the main problems posed by fire protection of cultural resources is the behavior of archaic and support materials...
Scottish Castle Saved by Quick Action by Staff
Floors Castle in Scotland from Morris's ''Country Seats'', 1880 A positive example of how useful is keeping a good level...
Risk of Restoration Works: Six Years of Fire in Venice
Venice, 27 june 1998: fire in the outside of Santi Geremia e Lucia's church. In this case the scaffolding contributed...
Did Rome’s Colosseum Suffer a Post‑Earthquake Fire in 271 A.D.? Structural and Fire‑Risk Implications
In 217 A.D., the Colosseum suffered a major fire that destroyed its upper wooden structures, leading to a partial collapse...
Rome 2003 Conference “Integrating Historic Preservation with Security, Fire Protection, Life safety and Building Management Systems”
On April 10-11th 2003 the Conference "Integrating Historic Preservation with Security, Fire Protection, Life safety and Building Management Systems" has...
Water Mist in Cultural Heritage Buildings: a White Paper
Cover of the 2004 COWI - RIKSANTIKVAREN - COST C17 publication "White Paper on Water Mist for Protection of Heritage"...
Minimally Invasive Fire Detection for Heritage Buildings
Fire detection systems play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of heritage buildings and museums. However, challenges arise concerning...
