The present work concerns the description of the contents and of the methods of the project “SALVALARTE respira pulito” (“SAVE ART and breathe clean air”) promoted by Legambiente, ARPA and the Regional Center for the Project and the Restoration of the Region Sicily, in cooperation with the University of Palermo. The goal of the project was to analyze and collect information on the condition of the cultural heritage in Sicily. The purpose of the goal was both to provide guidelines for the safeguard, the promotion and the correct use of cultural sites, adopting a more scientific approach of the problem which would be divided in three phases: detection and cataloging of the cultural heritage at risk, monitoring of a significant sample of monuments that might represent the whole nation, and finally diffusion of the results. The activities carried out in 2003 enabled the definition of an optimal monitoring procedure. The main test of validation of the survey and analysis methodology was executed considering Corso V Emanuele in Palermo as case-study, since it is where many and important monumental elements and structures are located.