Measurement campaign on the historical metallic construction tools and metallic elements of the Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence

Authors

  • Leila Es Sebar Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6463-9311
  • Leonardo Iannucci Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
  • Sabrina Grassini Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
  • Emma Angelini Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
  • Marco Parvis Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
  • Andrea Bernardoni Dipartimento di Scienze Umane, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila, Aquila, Italy
  • Alexander Neuwahl Artes Mechanicae, Florence, Italy
  • Rita Filardi Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21014/actaimeko.v14i2.2093

Keywords:

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, principal component analysis, non-invasive, iron-alloy, chemometrics

Abstract

This paper presents the results of ameasurement campaign aimed at the elemental characterisation of variousmetallic tools used in the construction of the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence, as well as several metallic elements inside the Dome. The analysed construction tools, part of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore collection, are currently exhibited at the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, and include turnbuckles, pulleys, three-legged lewises, and pincers. Despite their historical significance, this study is the first to investigate their alloy composition. The metallic elements part of the Dome include both metallic joints used in the chestnut chain and metallic rods on the second and third floors of the Dome. Understanding the chemical composition of the materials used during the construction of the Dome provides valuable insights to deepen our knowledge of Renaissance-era production techniques and the complex history of Brunelleschi’s masterpiece. To achieve this, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis was employed to determine the elemental composition of the artefacts. Data were processed by chemometric techniques, specifically Principal Component Analysis (PCA), to identify patterns among different alloys. These findings contribute to the historical knowledge of these tools and the Dome itself.

Author Biography

Leila Es Sebar, Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

Leila Es Sebar received her bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Technology from the Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy, in 2015 and her M.S. degree in Materials Science for Cultural Heritage from the Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy, in 2018. She received her Ph.D. in Metrology at the Politecnico di Torino (XXXIV cycle) in 2022. She is currently a post-doctoral research fellow at the Department of Applied Science and Technology at Politecnico di Torino. Her research activities deal with the study and development of a multi-analytical measurement approach for the conservation assessment of cultural heritage artifacts and the characterization of materials applied in the field of restorative dentistry.  She is interested in the investigation and application of different techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, photogrammetry, and multispectral imaging.

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Published

2025-06-10

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Research Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Leila Es Sebar, Leonardo Iannucci, Sabrina Grassini, Emma Angelini, Marco Parvis, Andrea Bernardoni, Alexander Neuwahl, Rita Filardi

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