New monitoring system for Brunelleschi's Dome

Unifi in defense of one of the most famous domes in the world. Thanks to a new project developed by Bruno Bertaccini of the Department of Statistics, Computer Science, Applications “G. Parenti” (DiSIA), in partnership with Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi's Dome will be equipped with an innovative monitoring system by the end of 2025, which will be added to the existing one. The latest generation technologies will be used to accurately detect deformations, displacements, and accelerations, providing detailed information on the structural behavior of the monument.

The research project is part of the funding allocated to the ICSC Foundation "National Research Center for High Performance Computing, Big Data, and Quantum Computing, CN1“ – in particular in the activities of Spoke 5 ”Environment & Natural Disasters," coordinated by the University of Bari – funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research as part of the European Union's #NextGenerationEU program (PNNR – National Recovery and Resilience Plan).

The new monitoring system, which will cost a total of € 662,000, has been co-financed by Nowtech Solutions srl, which will also oversee the execution of the work together with IP Ingegneria srl.

The executive project will draw on the expertise of DiSIA and the Unifi Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. Management is entrusted to the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, under the supervision of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Florence, Prato and Pistoia.

Compared to the existing Dome monitoring system, which focuses on measuring the behavior of the main lesions, the new sensors will be distributed evenly throughout the architectural structure. In addition, other sensors will analyze the effect of temperature variations on the walls. Finally, a laser scanner will provide a three-dimensional map of the dome to better understand its geometric and structural characteristics.

In this way, comprehensive information can be collected and a deeper understanding of the nature and behavior of structures and damage can be gained. This will make it possible to create a data platform that will facilitate the sharing of information between technicians and researchers and enable detailed analysis using technologically advanced tools. Therefore it is a perfect combination of technological innovation and tradition to preserve structural safety, predict risks, and implement effective protection against structural degradation of one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of architecture, ensuring its usability and safety as much as possible, and it can be replicated on other complex structures of high historical value.