Italy ranks among the top places for sites inscribed as World Heritage Sites in UNESCO's World Heritage List rankings. Thus, historic centers are the most uplifting and emblematic component of Italian cultural heritage.

Starting then from the concept that historic centers are the places that should best ensure their preservation, one solution is certainly to improve thermo-hygrometric conditions by thermally insulating the building. The insulation of the walls considered insufficient, it is now possible to integrate to the masonry system special layers of insulating material, whose very low thermal conductivity allows to significantly improve the thermal performance of the wall package in the face of reduced thicknesses.

The complex process of thermal analysis that the unaccustomed engineer has to deal with by examining wet surfaces, leads in many cases to the use of wrong methodologies that in the long run aggravate the condition of the structure. The most important thermophysical properties for practical applications, affected by the different situations in which the water content can change the behavior of the material are: thermal conductivity, specific heat and permeability to the passage of vapor, which together result in higher consumption and lack of living comfort.

In the masonry structure, its thermal and hygrometric behavior is greatly influenced by changes in the humidity and temperature of the surface layers. These phenomena are very slow and can generally be connected with seasonal variations, while, as far as interaction with the environment is concerned, the pictorial surface can be subject to very pronounced stresses.

For these reasons, the choice of thermal insulation must conform to the permeability and breathability of the existing wall system. Among the various insulation materials on the market, therefore, natural basalt mineral fiber materials appear particularly suitable for the rehabilitation of historic buildings.

The solution of insulating historic and monumental buildings with a low-thickness NobiliumThermalpanel basalt panel does not disfigure the reading of the historical memory of the wall face if we consider that the rock is baked and processed as the rock for the production of the limestones that with their plasters beautify our facades.

We would like to express our sincere thanks for the large attendance and great interest shown at the September 12 conference, held at the prestigious Bourbon Prison in Avellino. The event dealt with topics of fundamental importance concerning the thermal efficiency of historic and monumental buildings, with particular attention to issues related to the rehabilitation of walls affected by rising damp and condensation

Special thanks go to Eng. Gianni Acerra, President of the Avellino Order of Engineers; Eng. Nicola Fulcolo for his valuable report on tax bonuses and opportunities from the Green Economy; Dr. Francesco Castelluccio, President of the Avellino Order of Agronomists; the Professional Order of Architects and the Avellino College of Surveyors; and Dr. Rita Margiotta.

Warm thanks are also extended to our esteemed colleague and friend Giulio De Angelis for his commitment and merit in having believed in this project from the very beginning.

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