Papers by Valentino Vitale
Rockslides are one of the most dangerous hazards in mountainous and hilly areas. In this study, a... more Rockslides are one of the most dangerous hazards in mountainous and hilly areas. In this study, a rockslide that occurred on 30 November 2022 in Castrocucco, a district located in the Italian municipality of Maratea (Potenza province) in the Basilicata region, was investigated by using preand post-event high-resolution 3D models. The event caused a great social alarm as some infrastructures were affected. The main road to the tourist hub of Maratea was, in fact, destroyed and made inaccessible. Rock debris also affected a beach club and important boat storage for sea excursions to Maratea. This event was investigated by using multiscale and multisensor close-range remote sensing (LiDAR and SfM) to determine rockslide characteristics. The novelty of this work lies in how these data, although not originally acquired for rockslide analysis, have been integrated and utilized in an emergency at an almost inaccessible site. The event was analyzed both through classical geomorphological analysis and through a quantitative comparison of multi-temporal DEMs (DoD) in order to assess (i) all the morphological features involved, (ii) detached volume (approximately 8000 m 3), and (iii) the process of redistributing and reworking the landslide deposit in the depositional area.
Exploration Geophysics, 2023
The study focuses on the integrated use of multiscale and multisensor remote sensing techniques a... more The study focuses on the integrated use of multiscale and multisensor remote sensing techniques and big data analysis for the identification of buried archaeological remains or areas of potential archaeological interest. Satellite multispectral data (at very high and high resolution), drone based visible, multispectral, and thermal imagery, and geophysical prospecting (gradiometer) were used. The ancient city of Metaponto was chosen as case study, as it was a very important city in the formative panorama of Italian Magna Graecia and it also is one of the most important and best preserved archaeological sites in southern Italy. The analysis of remote sensing data from different sensors, with different resolutions, and referable to different physical parameters, allowed to deepen archaeological knowledge on a landscape scale, as well as on a site scale, going from the analysis of traces of the ancient landscape (e.g. palaeo-channels, canalisation system, main roads), to the discovery of small features (e.g. secondary roads, houses,
facilities).
2022 IMEKO TC-4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage University of Calabria, Italy, October 19-21, 2022, 2022
The aim of this work is to set up an HBIM (Heritage Building Information Model) system to facilit... more The aim of this work is to set up an HBIM (Heritage Building Information Model) system to facilitate the planning of diagnostic and restoration activities by bringing all archive information into a digital platform, accompanied by three-dimensional models that can be consulted and examined. Frequently, in case of ancient buildings, reconstruct the complete history of the property is not possible, due to a lack of accessible sources. The creation of the HBIM digital tool for consulting the architectural artefact and related information was only the last phase of this work, which began with: (i) Acquisition of archive sources in order to reconstruct the history of the restoration and renovation work on the monument; (ii) Acquisition of information about the diagnostic analyses previously carried out on the monument; (iii) acquisition of data useful for the creation of a digital twin.
2022 IMEKO TC-4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage University of Calabria, Italy, October 19-21, 2022, 2022
The aim of this work is to investigate an abandoned medieval highland fortified site through LiDA... more The aim of this work is to investigate an abandoned medieval highland fortified site through LiDAR methodology. Much of the evidence that may have been preserved over time at sites of this type turns out to be untraceable for years through on-site survey activities. In the case of Seluci Castel (Lauria-PZ, Italy), the topography of the settlement, exclusively represented by the rectangular-plan tower located on the top of the mountain, was not clearly defined. The possibility of discerning the datum through LiDAR acquisition allowed to clarify and identify some of the fundamental elements that went to make up what can be considered not only a lookout and defense point such as Seluci Castle. Interpretation of the same data were helpful to further understanding of the site.
33.2023 Abate, N.; Ronchi, D.; Vitale, V.; Masini, N.; Angelini, A.; Giuri, F.; Minervino Amodio, A.; Gennaro, A.M.; Ferdani, D. Integrated Close Range Remote Sensing Techniques for Detecting, Documenting, and Interpreting Lost Medieval Settlements under Canopy: The Case of Altanum (RC, Italy) Land 2023, 12(2), 310, 2023
This paper focuses on the potential of an integrated approach using aerial LiDAR, aerial and terr... more This paper focuses on the potential of an integrated approach using aerial LiDAR, aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning, and archaeological survey to detect the presence and configuration of lost medieval settlements under canopy. This approach was applied to the site of Altanum (Calabria, Italy), on the hill of Sant'Eusebio, completely covered by vegetation. Altanum was a large fortified settlement characterised by a long occupation, especially during the Byzantine and Norman-Swabian periods. The activity began by carrying out a LiDAR survey of the whole hill. The acquired LiDAR data were processed and filtered in order to obtain a DFM (Digital Feature Model) useful for the identification of features of archaeological interest. Several enhancement techniques were performed on DFM to increase the visibility of archaeological features. The features thus identified were subsequently surveyed through the use of terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry integrated with laser scanning to document the visible buildings. The most significant result of the study was to create a single GIS platform with the integration of all data in order to delineate the whole settlement layout, as well as to produce 2D and 3D datasets useful for the for knowledge and protection of the identified remains.
FOLD&R the Journal of Fasti Online, 2023
This contribution is the result of the preventive archaeology activities carried out in May 2021 ... more This contribution is the result of the preventive archaeology activities carried out in May 2021 in the Castelnuovo Parano (FR) castle area with the execution of preventive archaeological tests. The project, which concerns the castle structures, provided for the reorganisation of the open spaces in front of the castle nucleus. It should be noted that the existing structures were partly restored. In essence, these are architectural interventions aimed at improving the quality of the site. The work also allowed for the spatial use of the area delimited by the walls around the castrum tower. In the light of the design indications, the areas of two test trenches (I and II) were positioned and investigated in the areas where the new building interventions were located. As part of the same archaeological activities, a BIM model dedicated to the project was designed and realised in which all the data obtained would converge. This choice was determined by the need to create a computerised, searchable and functional platform for subsequent archaeological and topographical investigations, as well as for future research activities.
Cersosimo. La città ritrovata, a cura di C. Raimondi, M. Lazzari, 2022
30.2022 Masini N., Abate N., Gizzi F.T., Vitale V., Minervino Amodio A., Sileo M., Biscione M., Lasaponara R., Bentivenga M., Cavalcante F., UAV LiDAR Based Approach for the Detection and Interpretation of Archaeological Micro Topography under Canopy—The Rediscovery of Perticara (Basilicata, Italy). Remote Sensing, 14, 6074., 2022
Archaeological heritage in woodland is undoubtedly protected from the destructive effect of moder... more Archaeological heritage in woodland is undoubtedly protected from the destructive effect of modern anthropogenic activities by the presence of tree cover, which, at the same time, prevents knowledge of them and makes investigations difficult and time consuming. The tree cover makes geophysical prospection and excavations almost impossible and the use of remote sensing based on optical imagery quite ineffective. In these conditions, LiDAR is the only tool that enables us to “filter out” the canopy to reveal archaeological
remains and microtopographical changes of cultural interest. A LiDAR scanner, mounted on aerial platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), sends hundreds of thousands of pulses of light toward the area to be investigated. Most of them are reflected off the forest canopy and a few reach the ground and are reflected back through the canopy. Recording how long it takes the light to return to the scanner produces a point cloud.
Over the past two decades, LiDAR has found increasing popularity in archaeology and has opened new perspectives in the study of the human past, revolutionizing the domain of surveying to capture and depict archaeological features under canopy. The popularity of this approach in the archaeological field is such that it has led experts to create workflows and tools for archaeology that are different from approaches used in other
disciplines. Moreover, numerous studies also adopted a standard approach, consisting of: (i) raw data acquisition and processing, (ii) point cloud processing and post-processing, (iii) archaeological interpretation phase, and (iv) dissemination. The study of abandoned medieval settlements in highland areas is one of the fields of archaeological research that can greatly benefit from the use of LiDAR technology . They are the result of “social desertification” of vast territories in Europe since the first decade of the 14th century, characterized by a demographic decline occurring after four centuries of prosperity (from the 10th to 13th century) and population growth.
Journal of Physics Conference Series 2204(2022):012018, 2022
This paper deals with the integration and fusion of UAV-based imagery, including Vis-NIR multispe... more This paper deals with the integration and fusion of UAV-based imagery, including Vis-NIR multispectral and infrared thermography data, with georadar and geomagnetic prospecting, applied on Grumentum, pre-Roman and Roman city, with an important phase dated to Late Antiquity, of the ancient Lucania, in Basilicata region. The data were processed individually and then integrated with each other in order to recover as much information as possible from the different signals. Due to the qualitative and quantitative approaches to the integration and fusion of the diverse data sets and features, it was possible to detect some urban blocks (insulae) reasonably referable to the Roman age, although obviously not datable, and other features spatially linked to the late antique/early medieval church. Grumentum's experience shows considerable potential as well as limits in the use of the image fusion-based approach for the enhancement of archaeological features, from which emerges the need to continue experimenting these approaches on a greater number of case studies.
Journal of Physics Conference Series 2204(1):012020, 2022
This paper is focused on the archaeological area of Metaponto (Mexomov-nov) and its territory, lo... more This paper is focused on the archaeological area of Metaponto (Mexomov-nov) and its territory, located in southern Italy. The area played an important role for the agricultural economy and the traffic of goods and people, from the south of Italy towards the central regions, starting from the Neolithic period, and reaching the zenith with the Greek polis of Metaponto and its hinterland. The site is herein analyzed through an integrated use of several Earth observation and remote sensing technologies and ancillary data produced over the years by archaeologists and scholars. The aim was to identify new buried elements of archaeological interest, for the reconstruction of the historical-archaeological landscape. Through the combined use of optical and radar satellite images, high-resolution images obtained by Unmanned Aerial System (visible, multispectral, and thermal infrared), geophysical data, and archival data, it was possible to deepen the knowledge of the area, in particular the “Castrum” area, identifying new buried evidence (structures, roads, and elements of the ancient landscape).
Heritage Within European Research Project, 2021
The architectural documentation activities developed as part of
the research activities of the He... more The architectural documentation activities developed as part of
the research activities of the Heritage WITHIN (HWITHIN) project in
the monumental complex do Carmo (Lisbon) (Figure I), were carried
out using UASs (Unmanned Aerial Systems), digital camera, and SfM
(Structure from Motion) photogrammetry software.
The investigation focused exclusively on the building of the church
dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Monte Carmelo.
The building was built in Gothic style in ILeO on a hilltop, and
suffered severe damage due an earthquake and a subsequent fire
in IAJJ. These events destroyed parts of the city, including the
architecture of the Convento do Carmo. Today, the building has been
largely reconstructed.
The evolution of LD surveying and modelling techniques in recent
years, with increasingly high-performance tools and systems, has
undoubtedly represented a major step forward in cultural heritage
science. These technologies prove to be an excellent tool for both
information acquisition and data interpretation phases, and have proven
to be useful in achieving excellent results in surveying and documenting
complex structures such as the Igreja do Carmo.
Remote Sensing, 2022
Illegal archaeological excavations, generally denoted as looting, is one of the most important da... more Illegal archaeological excavations, generally denoted as looting, is one of the most important damage factors to cultural heritage, as it upsets the human occupation stratigraphy of sites of archaeological interest. Looting identification and monitoring are not an easy task. A consolidated
instrument used for the detection of archaeological features in general, and more specifically for the study of looting is remote sensing. Nevertheless, passive optical remote sensing is quite ineffective
in dense vegetated areas. For these type of areas, in recent decades, LiDAR data and its derivatives have become an essential tool as they provide fundamental information that can be critical not only for the identification of unknown archaeological remains, but also for monitoring issues. Actually, LiDAR can suitably reveal grave robber devastation, even if, surprisingly, up today LiDAR has been generally unused for the identification of looting phenomenon. Consequently, this paper deals with
an approach devised ad hoc for LiDAR data to detect looting. With this aim, some spatial visualization techniques and the geomorphon automatic landform extraction were exploited to enhance and extract
features linked to the grave robber devastation. For this paper, the Etruscan site of San Giovenale (Northern Lazio, Italy) was selected as a test area as it is densely vegetated and was deeply plundered
throughout the 20th century. Exploiting the LiDAR penetration capability, the prediction ability of the devised approach is highly satisfactory with a high rate of success, varying from 85–95%.
DAL POLLINO ALL’ORSOMARSO RICERCHE ARCHEOLOGICHE FRA IONIO E TIRRENO. Atti del convegno internazionale San Lorenzo Bellizzi, 4-6 ottobre 2019. , 2021
In medieval times, the territory between the Sinni and Agri rivers was the political centre of th... more In medieval times, the territory between the Sinni and Agri rivers was the political centre of the vast County of Chiaromonte, a Norman seigniory that gave impetus to the construction of ecclesiastical buildings located mainly along the rivers. The construction of the grange of Ventrile, built at the confluence of the Sinni and Frido rivers, and which was the most important part of the Cistercian monastery of St. Mary of Sagittario, is also part of this context. During October 2015, the first archaeological survey project was launched in Ventrile. The archaeological excavation activities, with stratigraphic tests carried out in the eastern, central and western part, were initiated in consideration of the fact that the monument was the object of a structural recovery that affected all of the southern and central areas of the grange. In this way, different phases of occupation of the area were recognized, starting from the 4th century BC with an initial settlement phase of the Lucanian Age followed by the foundation of a villa with annexed thermal baths dating back to the Roman Imperial period (1st-3rd centuries AD), on top of which the rooms of the grange were subsequently based.
ANTICA MINTURNAE L’APPIA RITROVATA a cura di Giovanna Rita Bellini, 2021
Siris 18, 2018
They are identified under the name of “Edificio Absidato” or “Temple of Diana” the ruins of a mon... more They are identified under the name of “Edificio Absidato” or “Temple of Diana” the ruins of a monument that occupies a central location in the urbanist scheme aquinate, to the Northeast of the theater and practically at the intersection between cardo and the decumanus maximus. The ruins now visible are only the smallest part (the rear) of a much larger product: it presents itself as an imposing structure in local travertine blocks, well squareed, built without lime. Just before the apse was excavated years ago, which revealed “a pavement in basoli”. For a long time the dichotomy of the news did not allow decisive identification. Two excavation campaigns (2014-2015) have highlighted multiple data, though preliminary, relating to constructive, topographical and historical aspects.
Medioevo nelle Valli. Insediamento, società, economia nei comprensori di valle tra Alpi e Appennini (VIII - XIV sec.). Atti del Convegno di Studi Internazionale svoltosi a Squillace (CZ) nei giorni 11-14 aprile 2019. A cura di Federico Marazzi, Chiara Raimondo, 2020
CHIAROMONTE UN CENTRO ITALICO TRA ARCHEOLOGIA E ANTROPOLOGIA STORICA. Studi in memoria di Luigi Viola
CHIAROMONTE UN CENTRO ITALICO TRA ARCHEOLOGIA E ANTROPOLOGIA STORICA. Studi in memoria di Luigi Viola, 2020
J-Reading Journal of Research and Didactics in Geography, 2018
Viewshed Analysis, or visibility analysis, allows you to evaluate the range of the observation ar... more Viewshed Analysis, or visibility analysis, allows you to evaluate the range of the observation area from a given location, tower, lookout, the creation of a hypothetical model of how these sites communicated and related to each other. The study, conducted as part of the author’s doctoral thesis, examines the ancient medieval landscape in the middle Sinni Valley in southern Basilicata, starting from the development of the entire system of fortifications between the municipalities of Valsinni and Colobraro, in the eastern portion, with the two respective fortresses of barrage locality “Il Pizzo” and locality “Cozzo Madonne della Rocca”, until you reach the innermost part in a Tyrrhenian direction westwards with the fortress of the “Castello di Seluci”, now in the municipality of Lauria (PZ). In the case of fortified settlements in the hinterland of this area, a central function was carried out by Chiaromonte (PZ), the center of the county already under the Norman Clermont family during the 11th century A.D. and also during the Regency of the Sanseverino family in the 14th century A.D. With these premises it is fundamental not only to highlight the area immediately visible from each site, but also to understand the level of intervisibility that had to exist in the settlement network of this given territory between the 11th and 14th centuries A.D., the moment when the entity and future vocation of this precise territory are consolidated.
Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage-DAACH, 2018
Research activities and the use of new technologies they are all experiments carried out in the t... more Research activities and the use of new technologies they are all experiments carried out in the three years 2015-2017 in the middle valley of Sinni in Basilicata (Southern Italy). The aim of these new investigations was the study of the settlement system and the organization of the medieval landscape of the valley; its chronological limits take into consideration the central centuries of the Middle Ages, from the end of the ninth to the fifteenth century AD. The documentation procedures developed during this research follow some solutions to optimize data survey techniques. To these problems they have recently solved all three-dimensional photo-modeling software, which, in addition to creating 3D models, provide orthophotopians of the area to be investigated. The three-dimensional models constitute a unique document of the current state of individual goods characterized by metric, geometric and material information, useful for reconstruction and for the archaeological and architectural stratigraphic documentation.
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Papers by Valentino Vitale
facilities).
remains and microtopographical changes of cultural interest. A LiDAR scanner, mounted on aerial platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), sends hundreds of thousands of pulses of light toward the area to be investigated. Most of them are reflected off the forest canopy and a few reach the ground and are reflected back through the canopy. Recording how long it takes the light to return to the scanner produces a point cloud.
Over the past two decades, LiDAR has found increasing popularity in archaeology and has opened new perspectives in the study of the human past, revolutionizing the domain of surveying to capture and depict archaeological features under canopy. The popularity of this approach in the archaeological field is such that it has led experts to create workflows and tools for archaeology that are different from approaches used in other
disciplines. Moreover, numerous studies also adopted a standard approach, consisting of: (i) raw data acquisition and processing, (ii) point cloud processing and post-processing, (iii) archaeological interpretation phase, and (iv) dissemination. The study of abandoned medieval settlements in highland areas is one of the fields of archaeological research that can greatly benefit from the use of LiDAR technology . They are the result of “social desertification” of vast territories in Europe since the first decade of the 14th century, characterized by a demographic decline occurring after four centuries of prosperity (from the 10th to 13th century) and population growth.
the research activities of the Heritage WITHIN (HWITHIN) project in
the monumental complex do Carmo (Lisbon) (Figure I), were carried
out using UASs (Unmanned Aerial Systems), digital camera, and SfM
(Structure from Motion) photogrammetry software.
The investigation focused exclusively on the building of the church
dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Monte Carmelo.
The building was built in Gothic style in ILeO on a hilltop, and
suffered severe damage due an earthquake and a subsequent fire
in IAJJ. These events destroyed parts of the city, including the
architecture of the Convento do Carmo. Today, the building has been
largely reconstructed.
The evolution of LD surveying and modelling techniques in recent
years, with increasingly high-performance tools and systems, has
undoubtedly represented a major step forward in cultural heritage
science. These technologies prove to be an excellent tool for both
information acquisition and data interpretation phases, and have proven
to be useful in achieving excellent results in surveying and documenting
complex structures such as the Igreja do Carmo.
instrument used for the detection of archaeological features in general, and more specifically for the study of looting is remote sensing. Nevertheless, passive optical remote sensing is quite ineffective
in dense vegetated areas. For these type of areas, in recent decades, LiDAR data and its derivatives have become an essential tool as they provide fundamental information that can be critical not only for the identification of unknown archaeological remains, but also for monitoring issues. Actually, LiDAR can suitably reveal grave robber devastation, even if, surprisingly, up today LiDAR has been generally unused for the identification of looting phenomenon. Consequently, this paper deals with
an approach devised ad hoc for LiDAR data to detect looting. With this aim, some spatial visualization techniques and the geomorphon automatic landform extraction were exploited to enhance and extract
features linked to the grave robber devastation. For this paper, the Etruscan site of San Giovenale (Northern Lazio, Italy) was selected as a test area as it is densely vegetated and was deeply plundered
throughout the 20th century. Exploiting the LiDAR penetration capability, the prediction ability of the devised approach is highly satisfactory with a high rate of success, varying from 85–95%.
facilities).
remains and microtopographical changes of cultural interest. A LiDAR scanner, mounted on aerial platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), sends hundreds of thousands of pulses of light toward the area to be investigated. Most of them are reflected off the forest canopy and a few reach the ground and are reflected back through the canopy. Recording how long it takes the light to return to the scanner produces a point cloud.
Over the past two decades, LiDAR has found increasing popularity in archaeology and has opened new perspectives in the study of the human past, revolutionizing the domain of surveying to capture and depict archaeological features under canopy. The popularity of this approach in the archaeological field is such that it has led experts to create workflows and tools for archaeology that are different from approaches used in other
disciplines. Moreover, numerous studies also adopted a standard approach, consisting of: (i) raw data acquisition and processing, (ii) point cloud processing and post-processing, (iii) archaeological interpretation phase, and (iv) dissemination. The study of abandoned medieval settlements in highland areas is one of the fields of archaeological research that can greatly benefit from the use of LiDAR technology . They are the result of “social desertification” of vast territories in Europe since the first decade of the 14th century, characterized by a demographic decline occurring after four centuries of prosperity (from the 10th to 13th century) and population growth.
the research activities of the Heritage WITHIN (HWITHIN) project in
the monumental complex do Carmo (Lisbon) (Figure I), were carried
out using UASs (Unmanned Aerial Systems), digital camera, and SfM
(Structure from Motion) photogrammetry software.
The investigation focused exclusively on the building of the church
dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Monte Carmelo.
The building was built in Gothic style in ILeO on a hilltop, and
suffered severe damage due an earthquake and a subsequent fire
in IAJJ. These events destroyed parts of the city, including the
architecture of the Convento do Carmo. Today, the building has been
largely reconstructed.
The evolution of LD surveying and modelling techniques in recent
years, with increasingly high-performance tools and systems, has
undoubtedly represented a major step forward in cultural heritage
science. These technologies prove to be an excellent tool for both
information acquisition and data interpretation phases, and have proven
to be useful in achieving excellent results in surveying and documenting
complex structures such as the Igreja do Carmo.
instrument used for the detection of archaeological features in general, and more specifically for the study of looting is remote sensing. Nevertheless, passive optical remote sensing is quite ineffective
in dense vegetated areas. For these type of areas, in recent decades, LiDAR data and its derivatives have become an essential tool as they provide fundamental information that can be critical not only for the identification of unknown archaeological remains, but also for monitoring issues. Actually, LiDAR can suitably reveal grave robber devastation, even if, surprisingly, up today LiDAR has been generally unused for the identification of looting phenomenon. Consequently, this paper deals with
an approach devised ad hoc for LiDAR data to detect looting. With this aim, some spatial visualization techniques and the geomorphon automatic landform extraction were exploited to enhance and extract
features linked to the grave robber devastation. For this paper, the Etruscan site of San Giovenale (Northern Lazio, Italy) was selected as a test area as it is densely vegetated and was deeply plundered
throughout the 20th century. Exploiting the LiDAR penetration capability, the prediction ability of the devised approach is highly satisfactory with a high rate of success, varying from 85–95%.
Archeometria). Casi di studio relativi a siti rupestri urbani e rurali e di siti fortificati in Italia
meridionale (Basilicata) e nella Francia centrale (Murol, Auvergne)
cronologico compreso tra X e XV sec. d.C., epoca in cui lungo il fiume Sinni si conservano significative tracce di insediamenti medievali. Territorialmente comprendeva le aree del Mercourion e del Latinianon,
coinvolti nello sviluppo di insediamenti religiosi di rito greco e latino, oltre ad essere interessata dal fenomeno parallelo dell’incastellamento. Dall’XI sec. d.C. la tipologia insediativa in questo territorio muta rispetto al periodo precedente, transitando da un modello di insediamento
sparso a carattere rurale verso l’intensificarsi dell’insediamento demico sui colli sommitali. Ai complessi monasteriali verrà affidato lo sfruttamento delle risorse del territorio rurale, con il ripopolamento di aree abbandonate.
This volume studies the peculiarities of the Sinni valley in Basilicata, where evidence of secular and religious settlement continuity coexists. The data extends from the Ionian coasts to the slopes of Mount Sirino from the 10th to the 15th century AD, and the author analyses the significant traces of medieval settlements preserved along the river Sinni.
www.barpublishing.com
Sezione V. Archeologia degli Insediamenti rupestri
Sezione VI. Produzioni, commerci, consumi
L’associazione ‘Il Sorriso’ è nata, qualche anno fa, con l’intento di valorizzare e promuovere le peculiarità di Chiaromonte e del comprensorio, attraverso l’esempio lasciato da Luigi Viola, già sindaco della cittadina che sovrasta la Valle del Sinni e del Serapotamo e consigliere provinciale per un anno, fino alla sua prematura scomparsa.
Luigi Viola avrebbe sicuramente accolto con interesse e fervore la pubblicazione di questo volume, nuovo ed importante tassello per il racconto documentato della storia di Chiaromonte.
Per questo siamo felici e onorati di poter contribuire, fattivamente, alla realizzazione di questo progetto, partorito dalle competenze e dalla passione di Valentino Vitale e di Marco Lista, unitamente ai preziosi contributi di Giovanni Percoco e di Giuseppe Cirone.
La conoscenza è partecipazione quando la trasmissione delle informazioni e dei documenti coinvolge tutti; l’erudizione diventa entusiasmo se i protagonisti del racconto siamo noi, il nostro passato e le nostre radici.
Le famiglie succedutesi al governo della Contea di Chiaromonte hanno sempre avvallato e favorito la fondazione di complessi monastici direttamente sulle loro proprietà terriere, consapevoli delle loro notevoli capacità di organizzazione del territorio, tanto da tramutare terreni incolti in fattorie altamente redditizie. Notevole importanza ha rivestito l’opera dei monaci cistercensi presenti sul territorio di Chiaromonte, permettendo di ricostruire un quadro quanto più completo delle fasi di vita del centro.