Measurements for the reconstruction of ancient walls in opus reticulatum in the basement of the castle of Santo Stefano in Puglia (Italy) ...

One of the results of the study of the Castle of Santo Stefano in Monopoli, in Puglia (Italy) - aimed at its restoration - is the discovery of the different construction phases of the building. The investigation made use of different types of measurements which, intertwined with each other, determined a clear picture of the construction phases. This work presents the investigations carried out in the basement of the castle, which returned the morphotypological relief of the walls in opus reticulatum built between the second century BC. and the second century AD. It can be seen that the walls were reused in the late ancient and medieval ages. The data obtained from the experimental investigation were compared with other data such as the definition of the historicaltopographical framework, the archaeological investigation, the prospecting. In this study, direct and indirect measures proved crucial to highlight the construction phases of the building. The comparison between the basements and the upper church led to the determination of the causes of degradation.