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

Architectural preservation is in its 3D mapping era. 💅

By Teodosia Dobriyanova on December 26, 2023

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.

Topics Social Good Drones Innovations

Teodosia Dobriyanova

Video Producer

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