Title

Author(s)

Angelo Passuello

Affiliation

University of Cyprus, Nicosia

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/QAZL7425

Keywords

Timber Roof Conservation, Structural Restoration, Architectural Heritage

PP

731-738

How to Cite

Passuello, Angelo. “Timber Trusses in Medieval Roofs Strategies of Conservation, Integration, and Replacement.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 731–738. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

Certain structural systems played a fundamental role in shaping the architectural language of sacred spaces during the Middle Ages. Among the most fascinating—though still underexplored in Italy—was the development of diverse wooden roofing systems. These roofs, constructed from perishable materials such as larch and oak, were especially vulnerable to deterioration caused by rainwater, wood-boring insects, and fire. As a result, they often required significant restoration or replacement over time. Three main intervention strategies have emerged in response to this deterioration: conservative restorations (complete active reuse), integrative restorations (partial active reuse), and total replacements. This paper explores three emblematic case studies that illustrate each of these approaches. The first case, representing complete active reuse, is the Sanctuary of Saints Vittore and Corona in Feltre. Its current roofing system incorporates original early 13th-century wooden beams, which were restored in the 1980s using a conservative methodology aimed at preserving as much of the historic material as possible. The second case, illustrating partial active reuse, is the Basilica of San Zeno in Verona. During restoration efforts in the early 1980s, most of the wooden beams supporting the fourteenth-century ceiling—shaped like an upturned ship’s hull—were replaced, while only the trusses over the presbytery were retained. The third case, an example of total replacement, is the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. Its original 14th-century wooden roof, consisting of struts supported by small pillars resting on the extrados of the barrel vault, was entirely dismantled between 1962 and 1963. It was replaced with seven metal trusses supported by a reinforced concrete perimeter frame, with a concrete screed poured along the roof slopes and anchored to the tops of the stringcourses.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.