Construction sites to build infrastructures are deeply entwined with urban development, with urban planning and with territorial history and archaeology. They are often also an unrepeatable occasion to discover the hidden treasures that have been underground for centuries or millennia.

In a nation like Italy, with the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, with thousands of archaeological sites already discovered and protected by the Italian Ministry of Culture, each excavation is a potential new discovery.

What happens when a large infrastructure company excavates in depth where classic archaeology would not reach? How is it possible with infrastructure construction works to discover and bring to new light and preserve the extremely delicate archaeological finds that can be found in the territory?

Building large infrastructure that eases urban and interregional connections bringing to light archaeological finds that are detected thanks to the excavations. Going into the darkest and unexplored underground realms to build futuristic works and concomitantly bring to light, again, traces of our ancient history. This is Webuild's ambitious challenge, together with its clients and Supervising Authorities that work in the different sectors.

When Past, Present and Future coexist, just like Beauty and Usefulness.

Conserving and valorizing archaeological and architectural heritage, in decades of activities of the Webuild Group, brought to light fascinating treasures in Italy and worldwide. Sections of Roman aqueducts, wall portions of the Ancient Roman era, monuments covered by time, medieval roads, tombs and site that go back to the Iron and Copper Age. Building new roads or metros has become an emotional archaeological expedition, allowing for new interpretations of the history and customs of ancient peoples. 

In constructing infrastructural works there's a need for great skills for discovering a valuing the historical and cultural heritage, besides for safeguarding the artistic pieces during the excavation stages. The Group's long experience during its almost 120-year-history, and its unique worldwide skills, are put at the service of both archaeology and art. Webuild, in Italy alone is currently building 10 large infrastructure projects where it also safeguarding and valuing the archaeological finds emerged during the excavations.

Webuild, in construction sites with potential archaeological finds, detects the best methods to use to manage excavations activities, compatibly with the discovering and valuing of the findings, ensuring a continuous collaboration with the Supervisory Boards, while always carrying out preliminary and preventive investigations to assess the archaeological risk. Where needed, it also carries out all archaeological assistence during the actual excavations.

Webuild's Agenda Cultura is enriched by a new chapter that tells of the works that the Group carried out to conserve and value the archaeological finds, through 4 themes: the Story of the findings, the Animus (from Latin, the intent to donate) meant as the attention towards people, communities, traditions, the Engineering Techniques used, Environmental Sustainability. i.e. valuing and making use of the sites according to a greater environmental context.

Italy presents an incredible epochal and cultural stratification: not just from a time-related perspective, but also from a space-related one. The territory saw levels after levels adding during the various centuries, especially in urban areas. 19th century traces comprise Renaissance ones. Medieval finds hide more ancient ones, perhaps Roman or Etruscan.

This is what happens in Webuild's large construction sites with our projects that take us into the future as the excavations sometimes let us discover stratified precious traces of different past eras, which if the excavations where not carried out, would have remained there undiscovered underground. And must live side by side with architectural and artistic works that infrastructural works must preserve and can enhance.

It is around this the existing tension between past and future that we wish to build our story to demonstrate how the first can and must be able to live alongside the future, through a knowledgeable construction works that construct new infrastructure and preserve archaeological heritage.

Art and culture, beauty and usefulness merge into one with the new infrastructure built to make cities even more liveable and beautiful.