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Substantial vulnerability of single-leaf vaults has repeatedly been observed in the aftermath of past earthquakes. Major vault damage or even collapse may follow the onset of mechanisms such as the indirect bending of the vault crown caused by the unconstrained rocking of the abutments, the shear failure of the vault lunettes induced by possible differential rocking of the supporting masonries, and the direct differential bending induced by the inertia forces acting as a uniformly distributed horizontal load along the vault crown. Unlike other mechanisms, which can be inhibited by traditional global retrofit interventions aimed at triggering a box-like seismic response of the existing building, limiting direct bending requires targeted measures on the vault crown. In this paper, extrados lightweight plywood restraining structures applying passive confinement actions are conceived to delay the onset of the vault direct …