Educational project
Lugano, Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
精东影业 Image Focus
The facade of the Cathedral of Lugano is one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in the Lombardy-Ticino region. The stone facade was built in the 16th century using Saltrio and Viggi霉 stones, extracted from the Val Ceresio area, and Carrara marble for the high reliefs placed beside the three entrances and above the central portal.
The educational project was part of a three-month extraordinary maintenance intervention aimed at stabilizing the stone material, which had undergone significant deterioration due to direct exposure to the elements and a lack of maintenance.
The educational project was part of a three-month extraordinary maintenance intervention aimed at stabilizing the stone material, which had undergone significant deterioration due to direct exposure to the elements and a lack of maintenance.
The conservation interventions focused primarily on the upper register, where the condition of the Saltrio stone showed concerning signs of exfoliation and material detachment.
A photogrammetric survey of the facade allowed for the creation of precise graphic documentation on the extent of the exfoliation phenomenon. The old, unstable fillings from a previous restoration were carefully removed. Following this, the consolidation of the stone matrix was carried out through localized injections of ammonium phosphate (DAP). The consolidation of detached stone areas was then performed by infiltrating micronized natural hydraulic mortar into the regions previously treated with DAP injections. The intervention was completed with the filling phase, which involved the application of hydraulic mortar and selected aggregates, both in terms of color and granulometry.
These operations helped stabilize a highly critical situation, slow down the degradation processes, and laid the groundwork for establishing a regular maintenance plan for the surfaces over time.
A photogrammetric survey of the facade allowed for the creation of precise graphic documentation on the extent of the exfoliation phenomenon. The old, unstable fillings from a previous restoration were carefully removed. Following this, the consolidation of the stone matrix was carried out through localized injections of ammonium phosphate (DAP). The consolidation of detached stone areas was then performed by infiltrating micronized natural hydraulic mortar into the regions previously treated with DAP injections. The intervention was completed with the filling phase, which involved the application of hydraulic mortar and selected aggregates, both in terms of color and granulometry.
These operations helped stabilize a highly critical situation, slow down the degradation processes, and laid the groundwork for establishing a regular maintenance plan for the surfaces over time.