St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City gets a digital twin

Architectural preservation is in its 3D mapping era. đź’…
By Teodosia Dobriyanova  on 
A split screen shows a photograph of St Peter's Basilica in Vatican city (left), juxtaposed with a B&W 3D render (right). Caption reads: "Digital twin"
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St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City now has a digital twin.

To monitor and preserve the landmark, which was completed in 1626 and features works by artists like Michelangelo and Bernini, Italian engineering company Italferr collected data using a variety of tech, including drones, georadar, and airships.

The company's interdisciplinary approach, powered by powered by Bentley's iTwin software, integrated topography and laser scanning to create a 3D model of the Basilica with high accuracy.

Both time and disasters, human-made and natural, can damage architectural heritage beyond repair. 3D mapping could help preserve important information to maintain and restore cherished landmarks across the world.

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Teodosia Dobriyanova
Video Producer

Teodosia is a video producer at Mashable UK, focussing on stories about climate resilience, urban development, and social good.


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