Microclimate analysis of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua: measurements and simulations

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the microclimate within an historical building: the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. The measured values, obtained over an extended periodo of time, provide information useful for the conservation of the frescos. The primary task was management of the microclimate: air temperature, air velocity and air humidity are the main physical properties that must be controlled. The indoor air quality and the numeber of air changes should also be controlled, specially where the presence of people can be a significant source of pollution. To evaluate the effects of management policies, including the installation of an HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) system, some numerical simulations were performed. CFD (computational fluid dynamics) calculatons supplement the information obtained from field measurements. A proposal for the control of air flow rates and of the interior microclimate is presented.