Computer modelling of the Basilica of Pilar in Zaragoza (Spain)

Abstract

The Basilica of Pilar located in the city of Zaragoza is one of the most well known spanish cathedral. Several domes of this church contain frescoes authored by Francisco de Goya. Some of the ~aintingi~have suffered in the past decades due to structural pathologies and a computer modelling was carried out aimed to find the links between the structural behaviour of the construction and the existing painting problems. The computational study is not finished yet and more information will be provided in the future. 1. Church description The Basilica of Pilar in Zaragoza is one of the most important worship places in Spain [l]. More than a thousand years ago a small chapel, was built in that location; the initial construction evolved eventually into a romanesque church, including an adjacent cloister. Later, a gothic extension enlarged the preexisting sanctuary. Nevertheless, all the aforementioned constructions were of small size compared with the huge extension which took place in XVII century when the project of a baroque church was set up by the spanish architect Ventura Rodriguez. The actual temple of rectangular shape, measures slightly more than 100 m in the longitudinal direction and about 70 m in the transversal one.