Installation of the structural monitoring system for the roof of Palazzo della Loggia in Brescia completed

The current Palazzo della Loggia was built following the expansion of the old loggia, constructed in 1436, which took place after the partial culverting of the Garza stream. Construction began with the laying of the first stone on March 5, 1492, and progressed over the course of eighty years, not without delays and setbacks. However, just a few years after completion, in 1575, a serious fire completely destroyed the roof, which was subsequently restored in a provisional form. Only in 1914 was the wooden “upside-down hull” roof reconstructed according to its original configuration.

Since its construction, the roof structure has shown evident deformations, prompting a complex diagnostic and monitoring campaign in the 1990s carried out by the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Brescia. Foppoli Moretta & Associates was commissioned by the Municipality of Brescia to update the analysis of the roof’s state of deterioration and to install a monitoring system using laser sensors to detect any further settlement of the ridge.

Access to the large trussed frames for resistograph testing was only possible by using rope-access techniques, following the methodology developed by our company in numerous previous projects.

Credits: Thanks to Enzo Mologni for providing the photographs.