ABSTRACT
The Nepalese culture is well represented in the Kathmandu Valley, in the heart of the Himalayas, where also the two main religions coexisting in the region are present. The aspects characterizing the Nepalese cultural heritage were clearly identified by Levi; all the Nepalese arts, including painting, sculpture and architecture, originate from the Indian culture and are directly linked to the two main Indian religions, Buddhism and Hinduism. Traditional construction techniques in seismic areas have been characterized, for a long time, by a large variety of structural solutions based on the combined use of masonry and timber elements. Since 1979, the Kathmandu Valley was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and in 2003 was registered in the list of Cultural Heritage Sites in Danger. Despite these nominations, industrialization and commercialization have not stopped and an increasing number of historic buildings have been demolished, giving the way to the design of low quality construction.
