Consolidation of the Bourbon prison of Santo Stefano

Seismic improvement of the Bourbon prison of Santo Stefano

The system Oly Tex Aramid 400 Uni-Ax HM With aramid fiber fabric it was used for the consolidation of the Bourbon prison of Santo Stefano, being particularly suitable for the consolidation of masonry structures thanks to the reduced elastic modulus and the peculiar physical mechanical characteristics of the ramide. The Bourbon prison of Santo Stefano is a former penitentiary located on the island of Santo Stefano, part of the Pontine islands, in front of the Lazio coast (near Ventotene). It is one of the most important examples of prison architecture of the Bourbon period and a symbolic place of Italian criminal and political history. It was built between 1795 and 1797 at the behest of King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon king of Naples, as a maximum security prison for common inmates and, subsequently, politicians. The project is attributed to the architect Francesco Carpi, who adopted a model inspired by Enlightenment and Panoptic thought (total surveillance from a central point). The prison has a semicircular plan, with cells arranged so that it can be controlled from a single point of view, according to the panoptic ideal elaborated by Jeremy Bentham. The prison was closed in 1965. And since then it has been abandoned for many years, although it has maintained great historical, symbolic and architectural value. In recent years, the Italian State has launched projects for the restoration and enhancement of the site, also with European funds. A project is underway to make it a center for study on detention, justice and human rights. The recovery intervention is part of the project for the improvement of the use of this important Italian cultural site.