INFRA REDable. Thermography for the diagnosis and conservation of frescoed walls: the case of the Templar Church of San Bevignate

The importance of research that addresses the numerous themes of architectural and cultural heritage conservation is a fact that has now been acquired on the national and international scene. The objective of the ongoing research presented is the study and devel-opment of infrared thermography as an innovative technique for non-contact, and abso-lutely non-invasive, investigations for the diagnosis of ancient masonry walls with specific attention to frescoes. In parallel, the devised technique is applied to a case study of very high historical value: the cycles of mural paintings of the Templar Church of San Bevignate in Perugia. Such architectural complex also houses a relevant archeological site which con-sists of a roman fullonica, part of the museum itinerary. Starting from the thermographic data, both the state of conservation of the precious painting and the seismic safety of the masonry Church – tied to the quality of the brickwork texture – are evaluated. The compar-ison among thermographic results and the outcomes due to a restoration activity of the painted parts, that took place on 2019 and that is still in progress, are highlighted.