Study of the microclimate of the Hall of the Giants in the Carrara Palace in Padua

Abstract

The Hall of the Giants (Sala dei Giganti) in the former Carrara Palace, now part of the University of Padua, Italy, contains sixteenth-century frescoes which are subject to soiling by airborne pollutants and to mechanical stress due to heating/cooling cycles. Field surveys were undertaken in the Hall to measure the microclimate and the distribution of suspended particulate matter at different times of year: winter, summer and autumn. By analyzing maps of thermohygrometric cross-sections of the Hall, several factors which disturb the indoor microclimate were identified: solar radiation, which causes seasonal and daily warming cycles; radiators which are controlled by a thermostat and a timer, thus generating discontinuities in the heat supply; the use of the room for lectures and concerts; human activity in adjoining rooms; old windows with leaded glass panes which are very large so that thermal conductivity is high and insulation is poor; external air which enters between the roof and the ceiling through ventilation apertures and then penetrates through fissures in the coffered ceiling; and the daily use of a vacuum cleaner, which dramatically increases the concentration of suspended particulate matter. Actions to be taken in order to mitigate the adverse factors are discussed.

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