The conservation of existing buildings is a current topic within the scientific community because they very often have historical value to be preserved, making them also very attractive for tourism purposes. To this end, currently much effort is now being put into the development of multidisciplinary procedures for structural assessment based on historical-critical analysis, accurate surveys of geometries and materials, dynamic identifications and numerical analyses using models appropriately calibrated with experimental data.In this context, the paper focuses on a multidisciplinary investigation to validate numerical models to correctly simulate the structural static and seismic response of existing buildings. Case studies belonging to the historical center of Matera (located in southern Italy), recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its peculiar building traditions, are analyzed. The research activity is conducted as part of the PON GENESIS Project, aimed at seismic risk management for the tourist enhancement of historic centers in Southern Italy.
Keywords: Existing Masonry Buildings, Dynamic Behavior, Historic Centers, Numerical Modeling, PON GENESIS Project, Seismic Assessment.