Rethinking and evaluating the role of historical buildings in the preservation of fragile artworks: the case study of the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice

In this work, we present the results of the analysis of the indoor behavior of temperature and relative humidity in the space of temporary exhibitions of the Gallerie dell'Accademia Museum in Venice (Italy), located in the ancient Santa Maria della Carita Church. The museum was monitored from May to October 2019 during the exhibition Baselitz-Academy. This research analyzed the microclimate using a tailored methodology for the study of indoor climate in historical buildings. This methodology is based on the calculation of daily and weekly fluctuations, as well as the speed of weekly fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity. Additionally, the microclimate in the monitored rooms were compared by calculating the indices of climate excursions (ICE) for each type of fluctuation. In the Santa Maria della Carita church, the analysis shows that the current use of an adapted air conditioning system plus the hygrothermal inertia of the building ensures a stable ambience, appropriate for the conservation needs of fragile artworks with little fluctuations.

Automated summary

This study analyzed the indoor behavior of temperature and relative humidity in the temporary exhibition space of the Gallerie dell'Accademia Museum in Venice. The analysis showed that the current use of an adapted air conditioning system and the hygrothermal inertia of the building ensured a stable environment suitable for the conservation of fragile artworks with little fluctuations.