Abstract
The modern use of ancient heritage sites can be, to say the least, challenging from an acoustical perspective. In fact, modern needs may require acoustical interventions in contrast with the preservation issues of the cultural heritage. This paper deals with this topic in an UNESCO designated world heritage site, the Palatine Chapel of the Royal Palace in Caserta, Italy. Since this chapel is currently being used for meetings and music chamber concerts, the acoustical characteristics of the chapel, originally used for religious purposes, are investigated. Field measurements were undertaken to evaluate the acoustical performance of the empty chapel. The measurements were then used to calibrate and validate a computer simulation model. Different acoustical treatments are then considered and simulations are used to determine the related acoustical improvements. Finally, the benefits of different acoustical treatments which are respectful of the aesthetic and historical value of this cultural heritage are discussed.
Highlights
One of the cradles of Western Civilization, has over 100,000 monuments such as churches, cathedrals, archaeological sites, and historical palaces, and it has the most United NationsEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated world heritage sites [1].Among the 51 sites on the list there is the 18th-Century Royal Palace at Caserta with its park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, and the San Leucio Complex
The present study aims to explore feasible acoustical treatments to obtain better acoustic conditions for the events planned to be held in the chapel
The transparent vibrating panels, absorbing the low frequency could guarantee a more tonal balanced acoustics of the room, which would be highly beneficial for speech listening; reversely, the introduction of heavy curtains would represent an elegant way to reduce the reverberation of the room, their acoustic effect would be more appreciable at higher frequencies
Summary
One of the cradles of Western Civilization, has over 100,000 monuments such as churches, cathedrals, archaeological sites, and historical palaces, and it has the most United Nations. Among the 51 sites on the list there is the 18th-Century Royal Palace at Caserta with its park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, and the San Leucio Complex. This large scale palace was created by the Bourbon King of Naples Charles III as the Italian response to the Palace of Versailles or the Royal. Dedicated to religious purposes, the magnificent chapel, located on the first floor of the Palace (Figure 1), is currently used for public events such as meetings and chamber music concerts. The inner volume is about 22,860 m3 The study consisted of both field measurements inside the chapel and computer simulations of different intervention hypothesis with the aid of the software Odeon [3]
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