The Cappuccini Convent and the Church of San Matteo al Posatoio in Volterra: Knowledge Enhancement and Fruition

Volterra, founded by the Etruscans for its favorable strategic position and the rich mineral deposits of the surrounding area, it saw a slowing expansion, first in Roman times and then from the eighth century onward with the construction of the medieval walls. Volterra, an episcopal city, with its Etruscan, Roman and medieval components, is one of the most important cities for art in Tuscany. The immense building heritage includes a series of episodes of different historical, architectural, and cultural importance including the ancient convent of the Cappuccinis that can be dated back to the sixteenth century. It is increasingly evident, especially in a reality like that of Volterra, the need and urgency to enhance the ancient structures, as is the case of the Church of San Matteo al Posatoio and the coeval former convent of the Cappuc-cinis, to stem or at least limit the problems related to the abandonment of the site. The case study described above, already identified as a building stock to be valued, first as a school complex and then as RSA as a result of concrete and recent interests advanced by AEC companies, appears as a concrete case aimed at a reuse compatible with the actual needs of an urban and socio-economic development for the city of Volterra. The contribution aims to document the possibility of making the new destinations, related to the needs of contemporary society in a reality, such as Volterra, which follows the dynamics, effects, and consequences of the resident population aging, through the survey and the archival documentary study aimed at a timely knowl- R. Castiglia envelope symbolenvelope symbolenvelope symbol · L. Ceccarelli Department of Energy, System, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTeC), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy e-mail: [email protected] L. Ceccarelli e-mail: [email protected] edge of the factory. Finally, it is intended to make a design proposal, for a possible action of reuse of the factory