Contesti rupestri e ambienti ipogei: problemi di definizione e di conservazione

This thesis addresses the conservation of rupestrian and hypogean cultural heritage, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to manage and preserve such complex sites. The work develops along two continuously intersecting concepts: the disciplinary dialogue and a systemic vision for sustainable management. New methods of comparison are proposed, such as the ‘methodical vocabulary’ as a tool for understanding concepts related to rupestrian and hypogean architecture; of study, through a rapid spatial and morphological data survey method of collecting data; of approach, through the analysis of international case studies. The thesis proposes two applicative case studies: the rupestrian church of San Nicola dei Greci in Matera and the Ipogeo dei Cristallini in Naples. In the former, the 3D Scanner application for smartphones is used to create measurable 3D models, while in the latter, a conservation management model is proposed thanks to the site's compensation capacity - its ability to naturally balance and respond to degradation factors - which is determined through systematic conservation monitoring. The pictorial decorations and architectural elements of both sites are analysed in detail, leading to new and unprecedented iconographic and technical interpretations and highlighting the role of conservation in the study and understanding of the meanings stratified in the material. This work also suggests the use of traditional materials such as aged lime putty for consolidation interventions and highlights best practices for an economical and effective conservation. Finally, it offers a paradigm shift, seeing the fragility of these sites not as a limitation, but as an opportunity for more conscious preventive and planned conservation.