Fernanda Prestileo

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a major determinant of human health, influencing both environmental conditions and lifestyle-related risk factors. Within this context, dietary patterns play a pivotal role because they affect chronic disease outcomes while also shaping the environmental footprint of food systems. This study provides a descriptive comparison between temperature trends, dietary habits, and diabetes prevalence across four European macro-regions (Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern Europe) through a One Health perspective, with a specific focus on Italy following the recent UNESCO recognition of Italian cuisine as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The analysis combines climate data derived from the ERA5 reanalysis, diabetes prevalence data from the International Diabetes Federation, and food consumption indicators from FAOSTAT. Regional dietary patterns were assessed against the Planetary Health Diet (PHD) framework to evaluate their alignment with sustainable nutrition principles. Results indicate that Southern Europe shows the closest adherence to PHD recommendations, while Western Europe exhibits the largest deviation. Across Europe, dietary patterns remain characterized by excessive consumption of animal-derived products and insufficient intake of legumes and nuts. At the same time, Southern Europe shows both the most pronounced warming and the greatest increase in diabetes prevalence, whereas in the other macro-areas this pattern is not replicated. Italy presents a comparatively more balanced dietary profile and lower diabetes prevalence than the Southern European average, although important gaps remain with respect to sustainable dietary targets. These findings motivate further investigation of climate, health, and food systems. Promoting dietary transitions inspired by sustainable and culturally rooted food practices may contribute simultaneously to reducing environmental pressures and improving population health. The study emphasizes the relevance of integrating environmental sustainability and social sustainability dimensions, including cultural heritage, food traditions, and public well-being, within future strategies addressing climate change adaptation and chronic disease prevention.

Cultural heritage is increasingly exposed to the growing intensity and frequency of extreme climate events, highlighting the need for integrated methodologies that combine large-scale risk assessment with real-time diagnostic tools [1]. In this context, the Horizon Europe project ChemiNova [2] develops an advanced framework for cultural heritage inspection and condition reporting, while the methodology implemented in the Interreg Central Europe projects ProteCHt2save and STRENCH provides a structured approach to risk assessment and preparedness through the WebGIS-based platform “Risk Mapping Tool for Cultural for Cultural Heritage Protection” [3]. This study illustrates the synergy between these two complementary approaches. The Risk Mapping Tool supports the identification of hazard, vulnerability, and exposure assessment at territorial scale, enabling the prioritization of cultural assets at risk. In parallel, ChemiNova focuses on in-depth analysis through multi-scale monitoring (artefacts, buildings, monuments) and the development of standardized condition reports [4], integrating non-invasive diagnostic techniques and artificial intelligence for automatic detection and damage classification.The integration of these methodologies is demonstrated through two complementary pilot contexts characterised by high climate vulnerability. The first case concerns the catastrophic DANA (Isolated High-Altitude Depression) event in the Valencia region occurred on October 29 2024, where extreme rainfall induced flooding, sediment deposition, and material degradation. In this context, the Risk Mapping Tool provides a spatial understanding of exposure and vulnerability, supporting the identification of priority intervention areas. Concurrently, ChemiNova tools enable detailed post-event condition assessment, including evaluation of material decay, moisture distribution, and structural stability, supporting evidence-based decision-making during emergency and recovery phases.The second case study focuses on the Palchetto della Musica in Palermo, a coastal monument located in a Mediterranean area highly exposed to extreme weather conditions. Here, the combination of climate-related hazard mapping and condition reporting allows the identification of specific vulnerabilities linked to heavy rainfall, marine aerosol, and pollution. Advanced documentation techniques, including 3D models in which data obtained from hyperspectral imaging and surface analysis are mapped in layers, contribute to defining a consistent damage taxonomy and to generating datasets for AI-based classification tools developed within ChemiNova.The results highlight how the synergy between large-scale risk assessment (Risk Mapping Tool) and site-specific analytical investigation represents a crucial step towards a dynamic and resilient management of cultural heritage. This integrated approach supports the transition from static preparedness models to adaptive, data-driven strategies capable of responding effectively to the rapid onset and increasing severity of climate-induced hazards. Ultimately, the combined use of ProteCHt2save-STRENCH and ChemiNova methodologies demonstrates a scalable framework for strengthening heritage resilience across Europe, fostering coordination between strategic planning and operational intervention.[1] European Commission Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. Strengthening Cultural Heritage Resilience for Climate Change: Where the European Green Deal Meets Cultural Heritage; Publications Office of the European Union: Luxembourg, 2022; Available online: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/44688;[2] https://cheminova.eu/[3] www.protecht2save-wgt.eu[4] EN17135:2020, “Conservation of cultural heritage – General terms for describing the alterations of objects”ChemiNova has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme under grant agreement 101132442. Palchetto della Musica is owned by Ufficio Città Storica of Municipality of Palermo.

In a constantly evolving world characterised by ever-changing weather conditions, the planet is experiencing a steady rise in temperatures, a phenomenon linked, as reported in the scientific literature, with a growing incidence and worsening of chronic diseases such as diabetes [1,2]. This condition is sensitive to lifestyle factors, including dietary habits. In this context of rethinking what we eat for our health and the planet we live in, the EAT-Lancet Commission proposed the Planetary Health Diet (PHD), which is designed to simultaneously promote human wellbeing and the protection of the environment [3,4]. This study presents an analysis performed across four European macro-regions (Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe), over the period 2012-2023. For each region we evaluated diabetes incidence variations and temperature patterns as well as we assess how current dietary habits diverge from PHD recommendations. In this context, particular attention has been paid to the Italian condition, being Italian cuisine officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 10, 2025, with the following statement “Italian Cuisine: Between Sustainability and Biocultural Diversity”. This was the first time that an entire national cuisine has been recognized, honoring not only the dishes themselves but also the rituals, conviviality, and traditions passed down through the generations [5]. This recognition represents the culmination of a process that has placed at the center the strategic role of the Italian cuisine as an engine of development, cohesion and diplomacy. The added value of Italian cuisine is seen in relation to the well-being of the population, which advocates a low-fat diet and a return to the traditional diet of so-called "poor cooking" (peasant cuisine). Such a result follows the designation of the Mediterranean diet on November 16, 2010, with a rationale that was not only culinary but also cultural and transnational (for Italy, Spain, Greece, Morocco, and later Cyprus, Croatia, Portugal). In fact, it is not just about food, but about practices, knowledge, and traditions that range from the land to the table [6]. In this regard, this work adopts an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to explore how culture, health, dietary habits and temperatures interact synergistically from a One Health perspective.[1] Mascitelli, A.; Tumini, S.; Chiacchiaretta, P.; Aruffo, E.; Sacrini, L.; Saltarelli, M.A.; Di Carlo, P. Effect of Atmospheric Temperature Variations on Glycemic Patterns of Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: Analysis as a Function of Different Therapeutic Treatments. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 1850. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22121850[2] Chiacchiaretta, P.; Tumini, S.; Mascitelli, A.; Sacrini, L.; Saltarelli, M.A.; Carabotta, M.; Osmelli, J.; Di Carlo, P.; Aruffo, E. The Impact of Atmospheric Temperature Variations on Glycaemic Patterns in Children and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes. Climate 2024, 12, 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli12080121[3] https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet/the-planetary-health-diet/[4] https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/chapter/chapter-5/[5] https://www.unesco.it/it/news/la-cucina-italiana-iscritta-alla-lista-rappresentativa-del-patrimonio-culturale-immateriale-unesco[6] https://www.unesco.it/it/iniziative-dellunesco/patrimonio-culturale-immateriale/dieta-mediterranea/

Coastal cultural heritage in the Mediterranean is increasingly threatened by extreme hydro-meteorological events and intensifying climate-related hazards [1-3]. This contribution analyses the catastrophic event that affected Kamarina and Caucana archaeological sites (Ragusa, southern Sicily), interpreting them as a paradigmatic case of climate-driven risk for coastal archaeological and historical sites. The event was caused by the exceptional Mediterranean cyclone Harry, which struck between 19 and 23 January 2026. Its combined effects — extreme precipitation, storm surge, strong winds, and enhanced wave activity — produced severe impacts on both natural systems and cultural heritage assets.The study adopts an integrated approach that links large-scale atmospheric dynamics to local-scale geomorphological processes and vulnerability of the sites. Meteorological and marine conditions associated with the cyclone are analysed together with geomorphological evidence and observed damage to coastal infrastructure, archaeological remains, and protective beach systems. Particular attention is devoted to the interaction between exceptional hydrodynamic forcing and pre-existing coastal fragilities, including shoreline modification and urban development, which significantly amplified the impacts of the event. This interaction transformed an intense but short-lived meteorological phenomenon into a complex and long-lasting heritage emergency.The Kamarina and Caucana archaeological sites case study highlights how coastal cultural heritage located in low-lying environments is exposed not only to direct physical damage, but also to indirect and cascading effects such as accelerated erosion, loss of archaeological stratigraphy, sediment redistribution, and reduced resilience to subsequent events. These impacts demonstrate the limitations of traditional protection and conservation strategies that are often designed for stationary climatic conditions or single hazards.Finally, Kamarina and Caucana archaeological sites case study is discussed as a transferable example, illustrating how integrated, climate-aware risk management approaches can enhance preparedness, early warning, and long-term resilience of coastal cultural and natural heritage under increasing climate extremes.[1] Mascitelli A., Prestileo F., Stella E.M., Aruffo E., López Campos L.I., Federico S., Torcasio R.C., Corsi A., Di Carlo P., Dietrich S., Impact of Climate Change on the “Trabocchi Coast” (Italy): The Trabocco Turchino Case Study, Sustainability, 2023, 15, pp. 1-15, https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410880; [2] Mascitelli A., Prestileo F., Sonnessa A., Federico S., Torcasio R.C., Ravanelli R., Biondi R., Dietrich S., Cultural Heritage Resilience in the Face of Extreme Weather: Lessons from the UNESCO Site of Alberobello. Sustainability. 2023;15: 15556. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su152115556; [3] Prestileo F., Mascitelli A., Meli G., Petracca M., Giorgi C., Melfi D., Puca S., Dietrich S., Resilience of Cultural Heritage in Extreme Weather Conditions: The Case of the UNESCO Villa Romana del Casale Archaeological Site’s Response to the Apollo Medicane in October 2021. In Proceedings of the Computational Science and Its Applications—ICCSA 2022 Workshops, Malaga, Spain, 4–7 July 2022; Gervasi, O., Murgante, B., Misra, S., Rocha, A.M.A.C., Garau, Eds.; Springer International Publishing:Cham, Switzerland, 2022; pp. 511–526.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of compound environmental stressors in the Mediterranean region, including heatwaves and degraded indoor air quality. While their physical impacts are well established, their influence on complex cognitive performance and high-level decision-making remains insufficiently quantified.This contribution presents a methodological framework to assess cognitive resilience under environmental stress, leveraging structured competitive activities as natural laboratories (Künn et al., 2023). In this study, chess is used as a proxy for strategic decision-making, enabling move-level evaluation of human performance through comparison with AI engine recommendations. Quantitative indicators, such as Best-Move Gap and Average Centipawn Loss, are integrated with indoor environmental measurements (e.g., temperature, CO₂ concentration) to characterize exposure conditions during competitive play.The framework is illustrated through its application to selected Italian chess tournaments, where environmental parameters were monitored throughout competition sessions. Preliminary analyses indicate that variations in indoor environmental conditions may be associated with measurable changes in decision quality metrics, suggesting a potential sensitivity of high-level cognitive performance to environmental stressors.In addition, participant-reported data collected via questionnaires are used to complement objective performance indicators, allowing for a multidimensional interpretation that accounts for subjective perception, experience, and contextual factors. This integrated approach provides a novel pathway to quantify cognitive resilience in real-world settings and contributes to a better understanding of climate-related impacts on human performance in cognitively demanding activities. Steffen Künn, Juan Palacios, Nico Pestel (2023) Indoor Air Quality and Strategic Decision Making. Management Science 69(9):5354-5377. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4643

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) have dominated biocidal practice in cultural heritage conservation for decades, yet growing evidence of environmental persistence, aquatic ecotoxicity, and antimicrobial resistance induction has prompted the search for safer alternatives. Essential oils (EO) have emerged as promising bio-based biocides, though their environmental performance has rarely been quantified through rigorous life cycle approaches. This study presents a comparative Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) of EO-based and QAC-based biocidal formulations across representative conservation scenarios, following ISO 14040/14044 standards and the Environmental Footprint 3.1 methodology with USEtox^® 2.1 characterization factors. Three complementary functional units were employed: formulation-based, surface-based, and intervention-based. The results reveal a fundamental trade-off: EO-based systems exhibit 81% higher climate change impacts but 82–89% lower human toxicity and freshwater ecotoxicity impacts compared to QAC-based systems. Surface-normalized comparisons reduce the climate gap to 32%, while toxicity advantages remain robust across all sensitivity scenarios. Monte Carlo analysis confirms the robustness of toxicity findings (p > 99%), whereas climate comparisons remain scenario-dependent. These findings support context-dependent adoption of EO-based biocides in conservation practice and demonstrate that EO-related climate impacts are technically mitigable, while QAC toxicity is intrinsic to their molecular structure.

Overflows of the Tiber River have been a serious and recurrent threat to the city's security, economy and cultural heritage since time immemorial, requiring effective mitigation and adaptation measures to minimise their impact. Since antiquity, classical authors such as Pliny the Elder and Dion Cassius have descriptively chronicled these events and their catastrophic effects, although in most cases associated with a strong ritual and religious character.Over the centuries, various measures have been implemented to control floods, including infrastructure such as floodwalls and drainage systems. However, historic floods such as those of 54 BC, 414 AD, 1557 and even the most recent one in 2012 left an indelible mark on the city. This study examines the river historical management, starting with Emperor Augustus’ efforts to channel the river to mitgate flooding and protect the expanding city.Infact ass Rome has expanded and modernised, more sophisticated methods of dealing with flood management have been developed, but contemporary challenges such as climate change and urban growth continue to pose problems and threats that require attention and effective measures to protect the city and its inhabitants, leaving us to ask: is it too late to save Rome from its fate?The research is aimed to draw parallels between ancient and modern methods of managing the Tiber’s extremes events (floods as in 2012 and drought periods as it was in 2022), highlighting the resilience of Roman infrastructure and the lessons that can be learned for contemporary water management and safeguarding of cultural heritage in the face of climate change. Keywords: floods; extreme events; classic Roman works; hydraulic engineering; River Tiber; Rome.ReferencesBersani P., Ferranti C., Le piene del Tevere a Roma dal 1870 al 2020, L’Acqua, 2023, 2, 57-82.Gómez, L. y Long, P. (2023), The floods of the Tiber with additional documents on the Tiber flood of 1530, Medieval & Renaissance Texts, New York.Moreno Herrero, S. (2007), “Los desbordamientos del Tíber a su paso por Roma en época de Augusto”, El agua y las ciudades romanas (Mangas, J. y Martínez, S. Eds.), 65-72.

The Mediterranean basin is affected by extreme weather phenomena that are increasing in frequency and intensity. To the effects of these climate changes a broad response must be provided by the population, structures and infrastructure involved. Affecting a wide variety of issues, this increase therefore requires an interdisciplinary assessment of impacts (economic, social and environmental). In fact, climate change and land use are the main drivers of environmental and socioeconomic transformations of landscapes and coastal areas.This study presents an interdisciplinary and participatory research methodology that analysed a coastal case study, the Trabocchi Coast (Abruzzo Region, Italy) characterized by a typical kind of vernacular architecture, the "trabocchi", increasingly threatened by climate change. The objective of the study was to assess the resilience of these coastal structures, "fishing machines" identified by the community as intangible cultural heritage, meaning their ability to cope with and adapt to changes while maintaining their identity and recognisability.The adopted approach combined quantitative and qualitative data from meteorological analysis, literature review, and field surveys. The investigation of specific weather events was conducted considering both large-scale long-term analysis (using the ERA5 dataset) and small-scale short-term analysis (models and ground-based sensors). A participatory workshop with the population was organized by the authors at the Municipality of San Vito Chietino with the support of the Municipality itself, from which a significant part of the results emerged. The latter provided an overview of the relevant phenomena that have occurred in recent decades which, by posing a threat to this expression of cultural heritage due to climate change (sea level rise, coastal erosion, storms, flooding, and salinization) have, however, also presented challenges and opportunities for coastal development, stimulating various resilient responses by local communities.Keywords: climate change; trabocchi; intangible cultural heritage; coastal areas; resilience; safeguarding adaptive strategies; heritage uses.ReferencesMascitelli A., Prestileo F., Stella E.M., Aruffo E., López Campos L.I., Federico S., Torcasio R.C., Corsi A., Di Carlo P., Dietrich S., Impact of Climate Change on the “Trabocchi Coast” (Italy): The Trabocco Turchino Case Study, Sustainability, 2023, 15, pp. 1-15 , https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410880Serafini L., Di Toro N., Not just wood. The fishing machines of the central Adriatic, in Roma, Capitale d’Italia 150 anni dopo. Preesistenze architettoniche. Aree archeologiche - Paesaggio, Bellanca C., Antonini Lanari C., Eds., Artemide, Rome, Italy, 2021; Volume 2, pp. 649-661.Forlani M.C., Progettare per l’ambiente costiero. Il recupero della cultura materiale e la valorizzazione delle risorse nella “Costa dei Trabocchi”, Edicom Edizioni, Monfalcone (Gorizia), 2022Prestileo F., Mascitelli A., Meli G., Petracca M., Giorgi C., Melfi D., Puca S., Dietrich , Resilience of Cultural Heritage in Extreme Weather Conditions: The Case of the UNESCO Villa Romana del Casale Archaeological Site’s Response to the Apollo Medicane in October 2021. In Proceedings of the Computational Science and Its Applications—ICCSA 2022 Workshops, Malaga, Spain, 4–7 July 2022; Gervasi, O., Murgante, B., Misra, S., Rocha, A.M.A.C., Garau, ., Eds.; Springer International Publishing:Cham, Switzerland, 2022; pp. 511–526.

The environmental sustainability of cleaning materials used in heritage conservation remains poorly quantified despite growing attention to the replacement of hazardous petroleum-based solvents with bio-based alternatives. This study applies a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCIA) to compare conventional solvents with innovative bio-based formulations, including Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs), Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES), and aqueous or organogel systems used for cleaning painted surfaces. Following ISO 14040/14044 standards and using the Ecoinvent v3.8 database with the EF 3.1 impact method, three functional units were adopted to reflect material and system-level scales. Results demonstrate that water-rich systems, such as agar gels and emulsified organogels, yield significantly lower climate and toxicity impacts (up to 85–90% reduction) compared with petroleum-based benchmarks, while FAME and DES exhibit outcomes highly dependent on allocation rules and baseline datasets. When including application materials, cotton wipes dominate total environmental burdens, emphasizing that system design outweighs solvent substitution in improving sustainability. The study provides reproducible data and methodological insights for integrating LCIA into conservation decision-making, contributing to the transition toward evidence-based and environmentally responsible heritage practices.

The atmosphere plays a pivotal role in modulating the interactions between microorganisms and their surrounding environments, influencing ecological cycles, heritage conservation, and providing opportunities for novel applications. Recent studies have highlighted the role of microbial responses to atmospheric conditions as indicators of environmental change. This study highlights the role of climate change, particularly rising temperatures, on the growth of cyanobacteria and, consequently, the impact of this on the conservation of cultural heritage, as in the case study of the rock paintings of the Majella Massif (Lama dei Peligni—Abruzzo Region, central Italy). The region’s rock art, characterized by red and black schematic motifs, is increasingly impacted by microbial colonization, driven by climate-induced temperature variations. These impacts are consistent with broader research demonstrating the link between microbial growth patterns and climatic factors. Laboratory analyses were carried out on cyanobacteria samples collected near the rock paintings at the study site in the Majella National Park. Results revealed a significant increase in growth rates at the higher temperature, demonstrating their sensitivity to climatic shifts. These findings underscore the dynamic role of atmospheric factors in shaping microbial survival and propagation. Consequently, certain atmospheric parameters appear to play a crucial role in the deterioration of fragile cultural assets. Indeed, the enhanced growth of cyanobacteria due to rising temperatures also poses a challenge: their proliferation can degrade cultural heritage sites, threatening their preservation. This research advocates for interdisciplinary approaches that integrate atmospheric sciences, microbial ecology, and heritage studies to explore the role of temperature in affecting cyanobacteria growth and the conservation of a peculiar cultural heritage in the Majella Massif. By leveraging their biological traits, cyanobacteria can provide valuable insights into climate dynamics while emphasizing the urgency for proactive strategies to mitigate environmental impacts on vulnerable ecosystems and heritage sites.