Thermography is a non-contact technique able to record temperature distribution on an object’s surface. This technique employs cameras able to detect radiations in the infrared range. The infrared radiations are emitted naturally due to natural heating or induced heating. The amount of radiation emitted is recorded in thermal maps which can give information related to the temperature as well as type of surface, material, anomalies, defects or not visible peculiarities.

In the Cultural Heritage field, thermographic imaging is used for monitoring buildings, plasters, thermal insulations, wooden structures as well as frescoes, easel paintings, statues and monuments. Furthermore, humidity, heating dispersions and leaks are clearly visible and detectable. A thermal surveying is non-invasive, fast and not expensive which makes it optimal for preliminary screenings and to plan successive micro-destructive works only in selected areas.