Aqua Virgo is the oldest Roman aqueduct still functioning in the city of Rome. It has never stopped working and still today it supplies some of the most famous fountains of the capital. The aqueduct was inaugurated in 19 B.C. and presents an almost entirely subterranean route. Geophysical measurements were undertaken with the aims to acquire further data about the water intake system of Aqua Virgo in Salone. The ancient aqueduct did not catch the water only from one single source but from a complex of springs and feeder channels located in the area. This project intents to bring light on the possible connections between the main underground specus of Aqua Virgo and its tributary channels, many of which are still unknown. The objectives are detecting and localising the underground feeder channels referring to the existing cartography of the area and to the airshafts visible on the surface. Once the conduits have been recorded using geophysical prospections, the further aim is to understand their dimensions, their constructive features, and their depth from the surface.

Canossa Castle is located in a commune of Canossa 18 km (11 mi) South of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia province of Italy. Canossa Castle was constructed in 940 by Adalberto Atto, son of Sigifredo of Lucca. Lombard chieftains needed this strategic hill to defend their lands against intrusions of other barbarian tribes. Subsequent improvements made the stronghold one of the best defended castles in the country. Canossa Castle became particularly famous as a site of reconciliation between king Henry IV and Roman pope Gregory VII during Investiture Controversy in 1077. In order to planned excavations in the area close to the Castle geophysical surveys were undertaken in the spring of 2022. In this paper, the interesting results will be presented.

The Roman Villa at Piazza Armerina , which has been on the UNESCO list of sites since 1997, is an exceptional example of a prestigious residence from the l ate antique period In order to plan new excavations in the area close to the villa's warehouses and in other parts not yet investigated geophysical surveys were undertaken in the summer of 2022. In this paper the interesting results will be presented.

Lecce's historical character is expressed by its historical cent re , rich in cultural and architectural marvels of the past. However, the symbol of Lecce's ancient origins is the Roman a mphitheatre in St . Oronzo square , the core of the city. The amphitheat re was discovered during the construction of the building of the Ba nk of Italy by some workers in the early '900. In order to have pieces of information related to the structure of the a mphitheatre geophysical surveys were undertaken inside and outside it. In this paper, some of the interesting results obtained will be p resented

The instability of the hypogean archaeological site named "Grotta della Poesia", was studied by combing geological and geophysical methods. The inside geometry of fractures and the physical parameters of the surrounding and underground materials were the primary objectives of the geophysical survey. 2D seismic tomography and 2D electrical resistivity tomogra phy (ERT) were combined to make a first diagnosis. F irst seismic data were acquired along one horizontal profile delimited by the line of the sources inside the cave and the receiver lying on the ground surface. ERT profile was overlapped with the seismic profile but the electrodes were placed on the ground surface. The interpretation of integrated geophysical data resulted in evaluating some of the rock mass parameters such as the rock quality designation, linear fracture density and fracture density

The Messapian necropolis of Monte d 'Elia is related to one of the most important ancient settlements in the Salento Peninsula (in south Italy). In order to understand the extension and layout of this necropolis in t he various periods of its use, an electromagnetic prospection was undertaken in an area adjacent to the necropolis. The analysis of the electromagnetic data revealed many anomalies that could be ascribed to archaeological structures (tombs).

The Appian Way Rome's gateway to the East was Europe's first highway and the wonder of its day. Built in 312 BC, it connected Rome with Capua (near Naples ), running in a straight line for much of the way. Eventually, it stretched 644 km to Brindisi, from where Roman ships sailed to Greece and Egypt. With the aim of highlighting its route, ge ophysical surveys were carried out in some areas of southern Puglia. This paper deals with the results of an archaeogeophysical approach based on the comparative use of gradiometric and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) measurements. The results of one invest igated area are presented.

T he monastery of St Maria of Monacato was built on the foundation slab of an imposing Roman villa dating back to the 2 nd 1 st century BC. In March 2023 a geophysical survey campaign was undertaken to identify the buried remains of the villa and direct the excavations.

The Messapian city walls in Ugento (Puglia, in south Italy) are of great archaeological importance and some sections are still visible. In order to locate a stretch of the city walls , a non destructive geophysical prospection was performed, applying the electromagnetic method. The survey was carried out in a perip heral area of Ugento, near a visible section of the city walls The analysis and interpretation of the measured electromagnetic data specifically in this work, the quadrature phase component) revealed a clear anomaly that could be ascribed to the city w al ls; in fact, it is aligned with the adjacent section of the visible walls.

The Roman amphitheater of Venosa (Potenza, Italy) is one of the experimental sites identified as part of the IDEHA project in the Basilicata region. The monument represents one of the most representative buildings of the ancient city of Venusia, famous for being the birthplace of the poet Orazio. In this study the results of a part of the project are proposed, those relating to the geophysical investigation campaign undertaken to investigate the presence of structures of archaeological interest in the amphi theater area.

The basilica of Santa Caterina D'Alessandria was built between 1369 and 1391, by order of Raimondello Orsini del Balzo. These, on one of his many journeys, returning from the Crusades, went as far as the summit of Mount Sinai to pay homage to the body of S aint Catherine. The building, on Raimondello's death in 1405, will be completed by his wife, Princess Maria d'Enghien, and then by his son, Giovanni Antonio Orsini Del Balzo. A study, using ground penetrating radar tecnique ( GPR ) was undertaken inside the Basilica in order to investigate the oldest structure of the church. The GPR analysis showed a series of anomalies that could be related to the old plant of the basilica.

The Basilica of Maria Santissima Assunta is the Cathedral of Nardò , in the province of Lecce. Located in the historical center, it has been a national monument since 1879, and in 1980, during the episcopate of Antonio Rosario Mennonna, it was elevated to a minor Basilica . In order to have pieces of information related to the ancient structure of the Cathedral geophysical surveys were undertaken in side it In this paper the interesting results will be presented.

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is often a fundamental tool for cultural heritage preservation. However, under some conditions, coherent noise can occur in the radargram interfering with the useful signal. Reflections from a bove surface objects, such as walls or vaults, and buildings, could be recorded in the radar sections and could hide subsurface reflections linked to the structures of interest. The problem of surface scattering can be addressed by using the Discrete Wavel et Transform analysis which decomposes the signal allowing the recognition of different anomalies coming from different targets.

The Villa of Caddeddi, in the territory of Noto (Siracusa) is located on the south bank of the Tellaro river, about 3km from its mouth. The site, interpreted as a rural luxury residence dated to the 4th-5th century CE, was first discovered in 1972 and intermittently investigated in the subsequent decades and mostly studied from the perspectives of the splendid mosaic floors there uncovered. The excavated structure accounts for just a portion of the complex, which is partially covered by an 18th-19th century farmhouse. After a long period of neglect, the villa, mainly known in literature for its exquisite mosaic floors, has been recently restored and opened to the public and become subject of new studies by the University of South Florida's Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) which between 2019 and 2022 conducted a remote sensing, using ground penetrating radar method, campaign in partnership with the Parco Archeologico e Paesaggistico di Siracusa, Eloro, Villa del Tellaro e Akrai and the Institute of Heritage Science - CNR. The integration between the digital exploration and ground penetrating radar allow new knowledge relating to the Roman villa.

In the field of the restoration of monumental heritage, non-destructive geophysical techniques have gained an already widely acknowledged importance. The possibility to understand the state of preservation of the artefacts without resorting to a destructive action is extremely useful in identifying unknown or presumed emergencies in order to better lead the restoration operations.At present geophysics is underutilised and furthermore, common techniques may not be optimal for some specific targets or sites. Therefore, more controlled research is needed to better understand the applicability of these methodologies when searching for cultural heritage applications in various material types. The purpose of this paper is to provide a new approach that involves the joint use of several geophysical methods for the study of the probable causes of deterioration on a monument of considerable historical and artistic importance. The monument is the Basilica of Santa Croce in Lecce. It is a baroque church internationally well-known. The starting point of this research was the evidence that some structures of the facade are more damaged and present signs of subsidence. The study of the causes of damage was dealt with a geophysical survey using ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the choice of the two methods and allow to obtain information on buried structures both inside the church and on the facade and to locate and identify anomalies related to a restoration intervention carried out in the 80s. Furthermore, a microclimatic analysis performed inside the Basilica shows a probable connection between the humidity present on the surface and the conductive layers present in the subsoil and highlighted with the electrical method.

La Cripta ipogea di Sant'Antonio Abate, situata nella campagna a 2 km da Nardò, è una piccola chiesa rupestre scavata nella roccia, più di due metri al di sotto del livello del terreno (Fig. 1a). La cripta presenta nel complesso una struttura molto semplice ad aula unica. Il soffitto è basso ed irregolare, l'altezza è inferiore a 1,90 m e la pavimentazione risulta in terra battuta, probabilmente derivante da accumulo di terreno avvenuto nel tempo, per mezzo delle piogge e del vento. L'elemento più suggestivo è un ciclo di affreschi, in cui figurano diversi santi, molti dei quali scarsamente riconoscibili a causa del cattivo stato di conservazione in cui versano le pitture (Fig. 1b). L'accesso alla cripta è stato scavato in modo da creare un vestibolo a cielo aperto, da cui è stata ricavata la scala, che scende, al di sotto del piano campagna (Fig. 1c). Sono stati eseguiti rilievi geofisici sul pavimento all'interno della cripta e nelle aree adiacenti alla cripta stessa (Fig. 2). Le indagini sono state effettuate mediante metodologie non distruttive con apparecchiature in dotazione al Laboratorio di Geofisica Applicata ai Beni Archeologici e Monumentali dell'ISPC di Lecce. L'obiettivo dell'indagine è l'individuazione di strutture sepolte di potenziale interesse archeologico. Lo strumento impiegato per l'indagine è il sistema GEORADAR SIR 4000 dotato di antenna a doppia frequenza da 300 MHz e 800 MHz. L'antenna a frequenza inferiore permette di investigare maggiori profondità, mentre l'antenna a frequenza maggiore è più sensibile alle discontinuità presenti nella parte più superficiale del suolo, ha maggiore risoluzione a discapito della profondità di investigazione. La massima profondità raggiunta, in ogni caso, è proporzionale alle proprietà fisiche del sottosuolo investigato. Le indagini in sito sono state effettuate in data 13 Luglio 2023 dalla Dott.ssa Dora Francesca Barbolla (geofisico) e dal Dott. Francesco Giuri (storico dell'arte) del DHiLab di Lecce. I dati sono stati elaborati dalla Dott.ssa Dora Francesca Barbolla in collaborazione con il Dott. Giovanni Leucci. Si riportano di seguito i risultati ottenuti.

Con riferimento al progetto ArchLABS con responsabile la Prof.ssa Isabella Baldini (call E-RIHS di accesso a MOLAB del 02/12/2021 chiusa il 28/02/2022 e con notifica per l'accesso alla user del 06/06/2022) si riportano di seguito i risultati ottenuti dall'indagine geofisica eseguita a Giugno 2023 ad integrazione delle indagini geofisiche eseguite il 19/07/2022. Le indagini sono state realizzate mediante metodologie non distruttive con apparecchiature in dotazione al Laboratorio di Geofisica Applicata ai Beni Archeologici e Monumentali della sede ISPC - CNR di Lecce. Allo scopo di individuare strutture di interesse archeologico eventualmente presenti all'interno dell'area indagata, sono state impiegate le metodologie di indagine geofisica denominate georadar ed elettromagnetometrica. È stato inoltre utilizzata una stazione GPS (differenziale) per la georeferenzazione dei risultati. Sono stati impiegati il GPR Impulsato Hi Mod (IDS) dotato di antenne da 200MHz e 600MHz e l'elettromagnetometro CMD - Mini Explorer sonda a tre profondità. Le indagini geofisiche sono state effettuate in data 16/06/2023, sotto il coordinamento del Dott. Giovanni Leucci. Le indagini sul campo sono state realizzate dal Dr Giovanni Leucci, dalla Dott.ssa Lara De Giorgi, dal Dott. Ivan ferrari, dal Dott. Francesco Giuri e dalla Dott.ssa Dora Francesca Barbolla. Le elaborazioni dei dati geofisici sono a cura del Dott. Giovanni Leucci e della Dott.ssa Lara De Giorgi con la collaborazione della Dott.ssa Dora Francesca Barbolla e le restituzioni cartografiche sono a cura dei Dott. Francesco Giuri e Dott. Ivan Ferrari. L'interpretazione dei dati è stata effettuata integrando le differenti competenze, sia geofisiche (Dott. Giovanni Leucci, Dott.ssa Lara De Giorgi) che archeologiche (Dott. Francesco Giuri e Dott. Ivan Ferrari).

Si riportano di seguito i risultati ottenuti dall'indagine geofisica. Le indagini sono state realizzate mediante metodologie non distruttive con apparecchiature in dotazione al Laboratorio di Geofisica Applicata ai Beni Archeologici e Monumentali della sede del CNR-ISPC di Lecce. Allo scopo di individuare strutture di interesse archeologico eventualmente presenti all'interno dell'area indagata, sono state impiegate le metodologie di indagine geofisica denominate georadar e geoelettrica, quest'ultima in configurazione non standard. E' stato impiegato il GPR Impulsato Hi Mod (IDS) dotato di antenne da 200MHz e 600MHz ed il georesistivimetro Syscal Kid. Le indagini geofisiche sono state effettuate in data 27 e 28 Giugno 2023. Le indagini sul campo sono state realizzate dal Dr Giovanni Leucci, dalla Dott.ssa Lara De Giorgi, dal Dott. Ivan ferrari, e dalla Dott.ssa Dora Francesca Barbolla. Le elaborazioni dei dati geofisici sono a cura del Dott. Giovanni Leucci con la collaborazione della Dott.ssa Lara De Giorgi. L'interpretazione dei dati è stata effettuata integrando le differenti competenze, sia geofisiche (Dott. Giovanni Leucci, Dott. Salvatore Piro e la Dott.ssa Lara De Giorgi) che archeologiche (Dott. Ivan Ferrari).

Le indagini sono state realizzate mediante metodologie non distruttive con apparecchiature in dotazione al Laboratorio di Geofisica Applicata ai Beni Archeologici e Monumentali della sede del CNR-ISPC di Lecce. Allo scopo di individuare difetti strutturali eventualmente presenti all'interno della statua Liberalitá, situata presso Palazzo Madama a Torino, é stata impiegata la metodologia di indagine geofisica denominata georadar. E' stato impiegato il GPR Impulsato Hi Mod (IDS) dotato di antenne da 2000MHz e 900MHz. Le indagini geofisiche sono state effettuate in data 19 Luglio 2023. Le indagini sul campo sono state realizzate dal Dr Giovanni Leucci, dalla Dott.ssa Lara De Giorgi, dal Dott. Ivan Ferrari, dal Dott. Francesco Giuri e dalla Dott.ssa Dora Francesca Barbolla. Le elaborazioni dei dati geofisici sono a cura del Dott. Giovanni Leucci con la collaborazione della Dott.ssa Lara De Giorgi

Multidisciplinary remote sensing surveying techniques were employed at the site of the 14 Abbatija tad-Dejr Catacombs in Rabat (Malta) as part of a collaborative research project of the 15 University of South Florida's Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) and Heritage Malta aimed to 16 map the complex for interpretation and conservation purposes and to assess the eventual presence 17 of further hypogea in the areas surrounding the site. In this study, terrestrial laser scanning and 18 hand-held digital photogrammetry were employed to map the entire complex in 3D and digitize 19 specific architectural and artistic features found within Hypogea I and IV. In particular, Ground 20 Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) were used to verify the 21 presence of hypogeal structures and tombs and the results have showed how the prospection has 22 identified anomalies of possible relevant archaeological interest.