ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the diagnostic procedure and the results of the investigation program performed on the bell- tower of the Church Santa Maria del Carrobiolo in Monza, Italy. The technical challenges of historic building preservation involve evaluating possible vulnerabilities as well as addressing damage mitigation and safety action within a minimal intervention strategy and maintenance. Conservation of historic buildings requires a deep knowledge of structures and materials, of their characteristics and potential state of damage and its causes. Ancient buildings often show diffused crack patterns, which may be due to different causes in relation to their load history and to their construction technique, but also due to their function changes and historical vicissitudes. The construction of an underground car park adjacent to the complex of Santa Maria del Carrobiolo on the East side, may have contributed to damage the tower and to increase the movement of the pre-existing cracks and the sharp discontinuities related to the construction phases.
