St. Peter's Basilica Slated for Major Upgrade
The Vatican has announced a major 21st-century upgrade for St. Peter's Basilica to mark its 400th anniversary. The project will integrate advanced conservation technology to preserve the historic landmark and its artworks for future generations of visitors and pilgrims.
- The primary technology partner for the upgrade is the Italian energy company Eni, which created a "digital twin" of the basilica by dedicating 4,500 hours of work to survey 80,000 square meters, including unexplored foundations. This 3D model allows experts to monitor the structure's stability by analyzing shifts as small as a ten-thousandth of a degree. - While the full cost of the digital upgrade has not been disclosed, representatives from Eni stated the project amounted to hundreds of thousands of euros. - A separate, concurrent restoration of the basilica's nearly 100-foot-tall main altar canopy, or baldacchino, is also underway with a budget of 700,000 euros (about $770,000). This specific project is fully funded by the U.S.-based Catholic charity, the Knights of Columbus. - To manage the high volume of visitors, which can reach 50,000 people per day, a new digital access system called "SmartPass" is being integrated into the basilica's website. This system will work with a network of sensors to monitor crowd flow in real-time and enhance security
