Full Breakdown
AI and Ultra-High-Definition Imaging Aim to Complete Restoration of the Basilica of Saint Francis
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Digital Twin Project Launched to Map the 13th-Century Basilica
A team of art historians, software engineers, and Franciscan friars is creating a high-resolution three-dimensional digital replica of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Led by Giovanni Borelli, chief technology officer of Haltadefinizione, the project uses gigapixel cameras, drones, lasers and AI algorithms to capture every brushstroke and structural detail. The digital twin will serve as a precise reconstruction roadmap should another earthquake damage the building again.
Background & Context
The basilica, built on a hill in Umbria in the 13th century, houses the tomb of Saint Francis and frescoes by Cimabue, Pietro Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Giotto. Two powerful earthquakes in 1997 cratered the roof, killed four people and scattered more than 80,000 fragments of fresco and plaster. Restorer Sergio Fusetti has catalogued the fragments but has been unable to determine their original locations.
Timeline
- 1997 – Consecutive earthquakes collapse part of the roof and damage interior artworks.
- 1997 – 2020s – Traditional restoration restores many frescoes, yet numerous walls remain bare and fragments stay unplaced.
- 2026 (Oct. 4) – CBS News reports on the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis’s death and details the new digital preservation initiative.
- Next year – The digital twin is scheduled for completion and public release.
Data & Statistics
- Over 80,000 catalogued fragments remain without a known placement.
- The imaging system captures hundreds of thousands of photographs at billion-pixel resolution, far exceeding typical consumer cameras.
- AI analysis is projected to reduce tasks that would take years of manual inspection to a matter of minutes.
Official Statements & Responses
He adds that AI will be employed to match fragmented plaster and to diagnose cracks, discoloration and paint lifting across the entire structure, a process that would otherwise require years of manual work.
Sergio Fusetti, chief restorer, describes the situation as “bittersweet.” After decades of painstaking manual restoration, he acknowledges that artificial intelligence is now the only tool capable of addressing the remaining puzzle of the fragments.
Verbatim Quotes
- “When I founded one of the companies that built this kind of technologies, I was a software engineer – pretty new to the art world,” — Giovanni Borelli
Why It Matters / Impact
The digital twin will provide an exact, searchable map of the basilica’s architecture and artwork, allowing conservators to plan repairs quickly after any future seismic event. Public access to the model also expands global exposure to the site’s cultural heritage through virtual-reality tours.
What’s Next
The completed digital replica is expected next year and will be released to the public. Haltadefinizione plans to apply the same imaging and AI techniques to other Italian heritage sites, further integrating virtual-reality experiences into cultural education.