Building the Knowledge Base for Cultural Heritage Risk Assessment: The Case of the Arian Baptistry, Ravenna (Italy)

Disaster Risk Management (DRM) for cultural heritage is increasingly recognized as a global priority, yet methodological harmonization and conceptual inconsistencies continue to hinder its effective implementation. This study develops and tests an integrated framework for Disaster Risk Assessment (DRA) applied to the Arian Baptistery of Ravenna—part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna since 1996. By combining elements from the ICCROM ABC Method, the IPCC/UNDRR conceptual models, and the QuiskScan model associated with the Nara Grid for value assessment, the research identifies the essential data, definitions, and conditions required to prepare a coherent risk knowledge base. The workflow includes five main steps: context analysis, stakeholder mapping, value assessment, terminological alignment, and risk components systematization. Results demonstrate that effective DRA depends not only on technical assessment of hazards but also on the integration of social, institutional, and governance factors that shape vulnerability. The study also proposes a hybrid hazard framework combining ICCROM’s Ten Agents of Deterioration with the UNDRR 2025 List of Hazards, expanding the concept of “dissociation” to include governance failures and socio-political risks. The Arian Baptistery thus serves as both a case study and a methodological laboratory, offering a replicable model for organizing knowledge, harmonizing terminology, and bridging disciplinary divides in cultural heritage risk management.