Antonelli’s Dome for San Gaudenzio: Geometry and Statics

In this brief note the authors describe the studies undertaken to date regarding the dome of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in Novara designed by Alessandro Antonelli, with particular emphasis on the geometry and statics of the external dome. Following a brief summary of the events and vicissitudes attendant on the construction of the dome, the structure will be examined from the point of view of the geometry, the construction techniques, and the materials used, in order to clarify the static behaviour and the stability of the whole set of structural and constructive elements of which the dome is composed. These studies have allowed us to obtain the necessary information for evaluating the complex and ambitious structural achievement of a significant element of Antonelli’s basilica.