An insight in the late Baroque architecture: An integrated approach for a unique Bibiena church

In this paper a masonry baroque church by Antonio Galli Bibiena in Villa Pasquali is analyzed using a multidisciplinary approach. The importance of this monument is due to the prestige of its architect and to the peculiar system of masonry perforated vaults, which is an unicum in architectural history. Nevertheless, until now this church has not been studied, but historical data and significant crack patterns have pointed out its high vulnerability. The first step related to the knowledge of the building consists of the historical record of archival documents, which allow for the identification of the vulnerable elements. An accurate geometric survey is carried out with Terrestrial Laser Scanning in order to detect the complex three-dimensional geometry of the structure and crack patterns. Finally, a three-dimensional finite element model of the entire structure is developed and a comparison between the numerical results and the damage survey is performed.