BrianzAcque and Superintendency, operational agreement on the Archaeological Potential Map of Monza and Brianza

The activities for the drafting of the Map of the Archaeological Potential of Monza and Brianza are in full swing. The tool, commissioned by BrianzAcque and by the Superintendence of Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Como, Lecco, Monza and Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese, is aimed at evaluating the probability of identifying the presence of deposits of archaeological interest, so as to reconcile the protection of these precious assets with the planning and operational needs of the Brianza utility, continuously committed to building public infrastructures in the subsoil. Despite the limitations imposed by the Covid emergency, which made access to libraries and historical archives difficult, the document is in full progress. The project involves a multidisciplinary team made up of archeologists, geologists, geoarchaeologists, architects and experts in territorial information systems which, in September 2020, in the form of a grouping of companies, was awarded the BrianzAcque contract for a value of approximately 100 thousand euros.Nationally, this is the first instrument of this kind ever built in a single lot on a vast and highly urbanized area such as that of the entire territory of Monza and Brianza with its 405.4 square kilometers of surface. divided into 55 municipalities. Enrico Boerci, President and CEO BrianzAque emphasizes: ” We are proud of this partnership with a prestigious reality such as the Superintendency. The charter represents a strategic initiative, capable of simplifying and accelerating design processes while safeguarding the historical and cultural heritage of Brianza. It will allow us to reduce intervention costs, as well as represent a forecast knowledge document capable of bringing shared value. The charter will in fact be available with reserve also by other territorial bodies and public / private companies committed to carrying out excavation works in the manner that the Superintendency deems appropriate. ” Giuseppe Solfi, Superintendent of Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Como, Lecco, Monza and Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese states: “The Archaeological Potential Charter is an important tool to allow better protection of the cultural heritage by combining it with the complex infrastructural needs that an area with a high population density such as that of the Province of Monza and Brianza needs. A conscious design of the archaeological potential of the territory will allow better thought-out choices of location of the works and planning of the works, avoiding unexpected events and slowdowns. ” According to the agreement, the Archaeological Potential Charter, as well as incorporating the archaeological cartography drawn up by the Superintendence between the 2010 and 2014 and available through the WebGIS Raptor, will include various levels of territorial investigation for the identification of areas potentially characterized by the conservation of archaeological deposits, or rather stratified traces of the past. The analysis will take into consideration the perimeters of the nuclei of ancient formation, the presence of historic buildings, the information deriving from maps and historical sources, from photointerpretations and from the examination of toponymy. And again: the results of geological and geomorphological analyzes as well as what can be obtained from the surveys. The data collected will be cross-referenced to evaluate the degree of archaeological potential of the different areas of the provincial territory. There will also be aerial surveys with drones, a technology now consolidated in the management practice of the local utility of the integrated water service.The territory of the Province of Monza and Brianza has returned traces of human presence since the Neolithic and has offered important information on the Roman settlement. and medieval. The map of the archaeological potential therefore represents an instrument for the protection and enhancement of the Brianza cultural heritage.