Saturday marked the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, Italy’s patron saint. While millions visit the Basilica of Saint Francis annually, its survival is a miracle after enduring war, fire, and devastating twin earthquakes in 1997. The quakes collapsed a section of the roof, filled the aisles with soot, killed four people, and left priceless 13th-century frescoes heavily damaged. Decades later, chief restorer Sergio Fusetti and the Franciscan Friars are still grappling with a storage room filled with over 80,000 unplaced plaster fragments. Now, a team of art historians, software engineers, and Franciscan Friars are utilizing artificial intelligence and ultra-high-definition gigapixel photography to finish the painstaking restoration. Giovanni Borelli, CTO of Haltadefinizione, is leading the project to create a comprehensive digital twin of the basilica using robotic cameras, drones, and lasers. These tools capture billions of pixels, allowing restorers to see microscopic details brushstroke by brushstroke. Borelli plans to deploy AI to tackle complex challenges like analyzing paint cracks, discoloration, and sorting through the heap of remaining puzzle pieces from the 1997 disaster. Beyond Assisi, the same technology is being applied to uncover hidden chambers beneath Rome and bring ancient Pompeii to life through virtual reality goggles. Friar Giulio Cesareo noted that the technology serves merely as a tool to fulfill a broader mission of sharing a legacy of faith and beauty with a wider audience. The basilica’s digital twin is scheduled for completion next year, aiming to preserve the historic sanctuary both physically and digitally.
Source: cbsnews.com
