A scientific approach to the Dome of St. Peter in Rome. The expertise of three mathematicians of the Dotti’s Roman Republic (1742)

Niglio, Olimpia (2012) A scientific approach to the Dome of St. Peter in Rome. The expertise of three mathematicians of the Dotti’s Roman Republic (1742). In: DOMES IN THE WORLD, 19-23 MARCH 2012, FLORENCE.

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Abstract

In 1741 the Pope Benedict XIV commissioned to three mathematicians of the Dotti’s Roman Republic, Roger Joseph Boscovich, François Jacquier and Thomas Le Seur, an expert to determine the static nature of the St. Peter Dome. In the scientific literature there are only few references on this report. It represents an important transfer from an empirical concept to a scientific approach of the structural analysis. The report is based on an innovative principle of the New Science: the Principle of Virtual Work, published by John Bernoulli in 1725. The controversy provoked in that time among researchers by this innovative approach, still makes the analysis of this report a document of great interest for the history of engineering sciences. Starting from this basis, the present contribution aims to illustrate the cognitive process of the three mathematicians: «diagnosis-prognosis-therapy». The contribution analyzes the cultural context of that time and also describes the discussions provoked by the innovative proposal of the three mathematicians.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Subjects:	300 Scienze sociali > 360 Problemi e servizi sociali; associazioni > 363 Altri problemi e servizi sociali > 363.69 Tutela dei beni culturali (Classificare qui le opere interdisciplinari su Conservazione e Restauro dei beni culturali ; classificare la Conservazione e il Restauro dei beni architettonici e ambientali in 720.288) 700 Arti, Belle arti e Arti decorative > 720 Architettura (Classificare qui le opere d'insieme su Architettura, Urbanistica e Paesistica) > 720.28 Architettura – Tecniche, tecnologie e procedure ausiliarie (Include: apparecchi, attrezzature, materiali) > 720.288 Restauro architettonico, Conservazione dei beni architettonici e ambientali (Classificare le opere interdisciplinari su Conservazione e Restauro in 363.69)
Depositing User:	PROF. OLIMPIA NIGLIO
Date Deposited:	26 Mar 2012 13:54
Last Modified:	26 Mar 2012 13:54
URI:	http://eprints.bice.rm.cnr.it/id/eprint/4029

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