Professional profile
Conservation Scientist | Microclimate monitoring | Preventive conservation | Material decay | Geologist
Geologist with extensive experience in the characterization of stone materials of cultural heritage, diagnostic technologies, and degradation monitoring systems. She has over eighteen years of professional experience at the National Research Council of Italy (CNR). She currently holds the position of Senior Technologist at the CNR ISPC in Potenza, where she supports research activities and contributes to the development of advanced methodologies for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage.
Her academic background includes a PhD in Earth Sciences, focused on the analysis of soft calcarenites from Apulia and Basilicata using a wide range of analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and SEM-EDS, geomechanical testing, physical analyses of porosity and permeability, sonic investigations, and integrated geophysical methods.
A rigorous professional with a strong orientation toward innovation, Maria Sileo combines in-depth knowledge of stone materials and diagnostic methodologies with an integrated and sustainable vision of cultural heritage conservation, contributing to the development of multidisciplinary approaches.
Her professional career is distinguished by the ability to integrate scientific, operational, and project-management skills. Since 2015, she has been involved in numerous research projects focused on the adoption of innovative technologies for cultural heritage monitoring, with particular attention to material alteration processes, in situ diagnostic techniques, and the processing of data derived from environmental sensor networks, geophysical surveys, and laboratory analyses. Her activities include the use of advanced instrumentation for ground-penetrating radar, sonic and ultrasonic investigations, infrared thermography, as well as laboratory methods for the mineralogical–petrographic and petrophysical characterization of materials. She has also contributed to the development of low-cost protocols for microclimatic monitoring in confined environments.
Previously, she played a key role in the PRO CULT project, providing a significant contribution to the development of innovative methodologies for monitoring the degradation of architectural and monumental heritage through the use of environmental sensors, diagnostic techniques, and advanced detection systems. This experience is complemented by her participation in the GEL Basilicata project, dedicated to the study of stone materials, ancient quarry sites, and deterioration processes.
Her multidisciplinary expertise has enabled her to participate in numerous national and international projects, including ATHENA (H2020), as well as scientific missions in China, Peru, and Colombia, and diagnostic interventions at internationally renowned archaeological sites such as Pompeii and Herculaneum, where she coordinated geophysical and diagnostic investigations in support of the conservation of ancient structures.
Alongside her technical and scientific activity, she has a significant academic output, with nearly one hundred publications including articles in international journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings. She also serves as a reviewer for scientific journals in the field and regularly participates in advanced training programs, further consolidating a recognized and up-to-date professional profile.
She is currently Coordinator of the IRPAC research infrastructure – Technological and Research Infrastructure for the Study of the Human Past, the Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage – and Head of the DEMOLAB_CH laboratory, dedicated to diagnostics and environmental monitoring for cultural heritage at the CNR ISPC in Potenza.
CNR Disciplinary Fields and Research Management Sectors
- SUP Management, support and enhancement of research and innovation activities
- IR - Management of research infrastructures, laboratories and facilities, digital technologies for research
- SH8_1 Science and Technologies for Cultural Heritage
Groups & Labs CNR ISPC
Remote Sensing e Spatial Data Science Lab →
Heritage Conservation Lab →
Publications
Highlight
F. Sabatini, F. Albertin, B. Doherty, L. Monico, F. Rosi, D. Buti, A. Romani, A. Pecci, N. Abate, M. Sileo, A. Amodio Minervino, N. Masini, I. Degano, F. Modugno, B. Campanella, S. Legnaioli, L. Cartechini (2025). Unveiling street art: A multimodal and multitechnique approach for analyzing and mapping painting materials on large mural. DOI: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2504918122
M. Danese, F. Sogliani, M. Sileo, N. Abate, M. Biscione, R. Lasaponara, N. Masini (2025). AI methods for enhancing and recognizing archaeological features in heterogeneous geophysical datasets. Scientific Reports. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05539-3
M. Sileo, D. Conte, A. Donvito, L. D’Andrea, A. Porfido, S. Liaci, F. T. Gizzi, R. Lasaponara, N. Masini (2025). On the Museum Monitoring at the Time of COVID‑19. Methodological Approach and Application to Palazzo Altemps in Rome. International Journal of Architectural Heritage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2024.2440770<
