At the start monitoring Duomo facade,Bell tower,Baptistery

Da ieri mattina, Tuesday, 23 September, sono iniziati i lavori di monitoraggio delle superfici marmoree esterne del Duomo di Firenze, Giotto's Campanile, of the dome of Brunelleschi and the Baptistery of San Giovanni Battista, that will last for about two weeks.

Starting at 7.30, will be in Piazza Duomo truck crane with an arm 104 meters which will be verified with the highest areas of Brunelleschi's Dome and Giotto's Campanile, the latter more than the top 84 m.

In a second phase, which will start in early October, with the truck crane arm 56 m, we will proceed to the controls of the other areas of the monuments.

It is a service that is carried out every year by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, since the construction of the Cathedral.

The verification of the marble surfaces allows the identification of degraded mainly due to the weather and to schedule maintenance and restoration.

Despite the use of cranes, the highest points of the Dome, will join by the workers of the Opera lowering roped, as it was customary in past centuries.

Since by the construction of the monuments of Piazza Duomo, In fact, workers occurred Opera status marble surfaces descending from the top rope, like real mountaineers.

For this they were prepared, during the construction of the Cathedral, of the anchor points for the maintenance.

Workers who are concerned with the monitoring of the marble surfaces of the Cathedral, are part of the Bottega del restoration of the Opera, and are the direct heirs of the stonemasons who built the Renaissance architectural and sculptural decoration of the Cathedral.

Nicola Nuti

By the number 32 – The Year of 24/09/2014