Perizie sulla stabilità di cupole e campanili della Sicilia centro-orientale nel secondo Settecento

The essay analyses critical events involving domes and bell towers in Sicily in the second half of the eighteenth century and specifically those of the mother churches of Ragusa, Piazza Armerina and Caltagirone. It will examine the ex novo plans and the surveys conducted by Francesco Battaglia, an architect from Catania, on issues relating to the static behaviour of suspended structures, such as domes and vaults, or of tall, isolated structures, such as bell towers, of which the architect provided solutions for their fortification and security. Several technical reports, some of which never published before, were drawn up by Battaglia in the second half of the eighteenth century. Some of these were a response to other surveys by renowned professionals both of the past, such as Francesco Buonamici, and of his time, such as Andrea Gigante and Salvatore Attinelli, thus testifying to a rich body of knowledge transmitted by Sicilian builders and to the extraordinary building mastery of this architect from Catania who was student and collaborator of Giovanbattista Vaccarini. His expertise in the stability of buildings was a unique mix of technical experience and of the knowledge of materials and treaties. A comparison and contrast of these surveys, set against a backdrop of fierce professional competition, reveals a diverse body of building knowledge and expertise that is to a certain extent closely linked to the local context.