WHICH WILL BE ITS DESTINY?

The paper aims at offering an overview of the traditional wooden constructive techniques from XVII to XIX century in Genoa, means to explain the events that have affected the main roofs of the Albergo dei Poveri, a monumental complex in the city of Genoa, and in a more detailed way illustrate the roof structure of its north-west wing, through its survey and constructive analysis. The building construction started in 1650 and was stopped in the XIX century, leaving the original design unfinished. The building was hit by incendiary bombs during the Second World War, restored and then partially abandoned; since 1990 it has been the object of an intervention of conversion from charitable hostel into university. Its roof structures were in wood and, thanks to its long history and constructive features, we can still identify different types of timber structure within it. Some of them were replaced by concrete structures (after the Second World War) or by new wooden roofs, some others have been recently studied with specific diagnostic techniques and preserved, consolidated or partially replaced in order to ensure the structural stability of the building, also considering its new purposes. Today we can find only few of the original timber structures, especially in the part of the complex not restored yet. The paper wants to inspire a reflection about the destiny of the last original wooden roofs in the Albergo dei Poveri.