The “Small Thermal Baths" of Nora: state of conservation and restoration on wall structures

The discovery of an archaeological site has always evoked cultural and scientific interests. Unfortunately, after a period of study, the attention paid to good often tends to decrease, underestimating the interactions between the material and the new surrounding environment, totally different from that in which the good were placed before. This variation cause new balances that inevitably create modifications into the materials making them susceptible to decay. This aspect, together with a planned preventative maintenance, is generally neglected until an emergency restoration becomes necessary to guarantee good’s survival. The following paper sets out the case study of the so-called “Small Thermal Baths”, a thermal structure located in the Roman archaeological site of Nora, on the southern coast of Sardinia. In this case, the real essence of the structure is threatened by the intrinsic vulnerability of the building materials and by the action of the agents of decay. The disaggregation of stones is certainly one of the aspects that make it very difficult to preserve. Although its location is undoubtedly an added value from the historical, cultural and environmental point of view, this fact puts the materials in exposure classes particularly severe. The diagnostic tests performed showed that the restoration works carried out in 2010 have produced satisfactory results. This paper analyzes the data obtained from the structure’s monitoring before and after the restoration