Non destructive diagnosis at the Brancacci Chapel, Church of Santa Maria del Carmine (Florence)

Abstract

The Basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, in the Oltrarno area, was built in 1268 (pre-Renaissance low medieval context), consecrated in 1422. Due to a devastating fire in 1771 of the interior of the original church, very little remained, between the parts that managed to save including the Corsini and Brancacci chapels. The architect Giuseppe Ruggeri was responsible for the reconstruction of the church, which was completed in 1782 (with the exception of the gabled façade which remained unfinished, as it can still be seen today (in fact it has bricks and exposed stone elements). Geophysical investigations were undertaken into the Brancacci chapel in order to have information on the wall structure that contains the wall paintings by Masaccio, Masolino and Filippino Lippi, to understand the stratigraphy of the mortars and formulate some hypotheses on the causes of their detachment.. The results are interesting.