Georadar investigations in the Church of San Paolo (San Giacomo dei Militari, Palermo)

Abstract

As part of a research project aimed at drawing up a restoration project for the church of San Paolo, the monument was investigated with georadar surveys. The investigations were followed in a targeted manner by archaeological excavations, under the supervision of the Superintendence of Cultural and Environmental Heritage of Palermo. The San Paolo church is located in the oldest part of the city. The geophysical investigations will be useful to identify any pre-existing structures on which the church could be founded. The georadar investigations focused on the central nave and one of the side aisles to identify buried structures and crypts. The data showed several anomalies. One of these, located in the middle of the central nave, has been verified with an excavation. The entrance to a crypt, not yet explored, and several bone fragments were then found. Finally, some high-frequency profiles were acquired in the walls and columns of the church, which highlighted numerous anomalies that will be verified with exploratory tests.