CONOSCENZA DELLA FABBRICA E CONSOLIDAMENTO: IL CASO DI SAN FRANCESCO A FERRARA

This paper focuses on the structural evolution of the Church of Saint Francis in Ferrara, built on the actual site in the first half of the XIV century. The opportunity to directly study both ancient documents and the building itself has greatly enhanced our understanding of its history and how its structure has evolved over the centuries, enduring earthquakes and restoration efforts. Built by Biagio Rossetti in 1495, the church reused some walls from an earlier structure but encountered structural issues during construction due to poor soil, leading to severe damages by an earthquake just 40 years after completion. The subsequent reconstruction altered the church, resulting in the addition of the choir and bell tower. Since then, no major work was carried out on the church until the middle of the XIX century, when its condition was described as extremely poor. A long restoration process returned the church to the city, demolishing and reconstructing some pillars and walls. These were the last structural works until the 2012 earthquake in Italy, which caused several damages to the church, although it was always kept open to the public. The restoration after this event has party ended in 2019, but the transept still needs to be consolidated.