Preliminary Studies on Fungal Contamination of Two Rupestrian Churches from Matera (Southern Italy)

A study of fungal contamination in two rupestrian churches within the UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera, identified six dominant fungal species: Parengyodontium album, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Lecanicillium psalliotae, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, and Botryotrichum atrogriseum. These fungi, with a 99–100% similarity to known species, pose risks to the structural integrity and aesthetic value of the churches, as well as to the health of visitors and guardians due to spore diffusion. The research employed genomic DNA extraction from fungal cultures, followed by PCR amplification and sequencing of ribosomal DNA (ITS) and β-tubulin gene regions, with sequences deposited in the EMBL database. This detailed characterization aims to inform future environmentally friendly restoration efforts.

Mang, S. M., Scrano, L., & Camele, I. (2020). Preliminary Studies on Fungal Contamination of Two Rupestrian Churches from Matera (Southern Italy). Sustainability, 12(17), 6988. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176988