A new life for the geodetic dome of the Astronomical Observatory in the Brera Botanical Garden
June 2026. Restoration work on the nineteenth-century geodetic dome of the Brera Astronomical Observatory is progressing at full speed, thanks to the collaboration between INAF – National Institute for Astrophysics and the University of Milan. Now in its most advanced stages, the project represents not only a major effort to preserve scientific and cultural heritage, but also a valuable opportunity for education and public engagement.
On 3 June, the entire project team met with students from a variety of academic and professional courses during a special restoration training workshop.
By the end of winter 2026, the restoration of the geodetic dome of the Brera Astronomical Observatory – a small yet precious nineteenth-century structure located at the entrance to the University of Milan’s Brera Botanical Garden – will be completed.
Following the official opening of the restoration site on 16 December 2025
16 December 2025. Official handover of the site for the launch of the dome restoration project
operational activities began in January 2026 with the installation of scaffolding
January 2026. Installation of the scaffolding for the restoration project begins
and the start of restoration work on the structure’s various components: masonry and wooden structures, metal roofing, the rotating section, movable elements, and finishes
The restoration site in operation
Detail of the wooden structure
The project involves a multidisciplinary team composed of professionals from the two partner institutions and external specialists in cultural heritage conservation, diagnostics, restoration, and project management.
The restoration is now approaching completion, with the aim of returning to the city of Milan, the scientific community, and visitors to the Brera Astronomical Museum and the Brera Botanical Garden Museum a site of extraordinary historical and documentary value.
The dome played a central role in European geodetic campaigns between the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries under the direction of the Italian astronomer Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli.
Beyond its conservation purpose, the restoration site has become a genuine open-air educational laboratory, supporting both university thesis projects and “training workshop” initiatives dedicated to the direct study of diagnostic and restoration practices.
Particularly significant was the event held on 3 June 2026, when the entire project team welcomed a delegation of third-year students from the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in “Cultural Heritage: Science, Technology and Diagnostics” and the Master’s Degree Programme in “Sciences for the Conservation and Diagnostics of Cultural Heritage” at the University of Milan. They were joined by representatives of the Technological Design Laboratory of the Degree Programme in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology at the Politecnico di Milano and by second-year students from the Professional Training Programme of the Botticino Restoration School. These three centres of excellence share a common interest in the protection, conservation, and restoration of cultural heritage.
The event opened with a presentation by Dr Roberto Della Ceca, Director of the INAF – Brera Astronomical Observatory, who outlined the institution’s main areas of contemporary research and its most technologically advanced projects. Dr Daniela d’Amore, Project Manager (RUP), and Architect Micaela Bordin, RUP Support Officer, explored the complexities involved in carrying out a public-sector restoration project, including ongoing coordination with the Heritage Authority, which oversees protected cultural assets such as the dome; the preparation of the executive design and Safety Plan; the selection of the restoration contractor; the opening of the worksite; and the diagnostic investigations conducted to assess the state of conservation and potential for material recovery. These activities are essential to ensuring compliance with the principle of “minimum intervention,” the budget established in the Economic Framework, and the project timetable.
Dr Ginevra Trinchieri, Scientific Director of the Brera Astronomical Museum, presented the historical research conducted in the archives of the Brera Astronomical Observatory and the Civil Engineering Department at the State Archives. Through the study of original documents, it was possible to trace the structure’s original design, described in detail in an expense report from 1879 that records every phase of construction and the materials used.
Students then attended presentations on the diagnostic investigations carried out by several research groups from the four University of Milan departments involved in the project. These studies aimed to determine the conservation status of the various materials, identify potential deterioration risks, and provide valuable information to support restoration decisions.
Professor Marco Merlini (Department of Earth Sciences and coordinator of the aforementioned degree programmes) presented the results of material characterisation analyses performed by X-ray diffraction together with Dr Chiara Mangano on samples from the metal roof and altered internal fragments. Professor Marco Saracchi illustrated the mycological and entomological investigations conducted to identify fungi and crawling insects, with contributions from Professors Costanza Jucker and Sara Savoldelli (Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences). Dr Michela Caimi presented the results of thermographic surveys and XRF analyses carried out by the DIART Laboratory (Professors Nicola Ludwig and Letizia Bonizzoni, Department of Physics) to identify critical areas and characterise the materials and paints used in the structure. Finally, Dr Antonella Testa (Brera Botanical Garden, University of Milan) recalled the investigations conducted by Dr Ivan Grigioni (Department of Chemistry), which provided guidance on sanitisation procedures and bacterial control.
Significant attention was also devoted to the design and operational aspects of the intervention through a presentation by Architect Mario Ziggiotto, Site Director. Architect Massimo Bigozzi, Safety Coordinator, guided participants through the construction site Safety Plan, while Professor Sara Goidanich, Professor of Materials Science and Technology at the Politecnico di Milano, presented ongoing treatment tests on the replacement copper used for the dome’s roofing.
Restorers Ester Cimolato and David Mazzero, employees of N.G.E. Srl of Farra di Soligo (Treviso), the company carrying out the restoration work, led a site visit and described with professionalism and passion the techniques, materials, and methods used in conservation restoration.
Students participating in the training workshop programme on 3 June 2026, together with the project team involved in the restoration of the dome
The initiative was highly appreciated by participants, who highlighted the value of direct interaction with the many professionals involved in the project and the effectiveness of an educational approach capable of combining university training with hands-on experience in a professional restoration environment.
The initiative forms part of a broader strategy aimed at actively engaging communities in the enhancement, care, and ongoing maintenance of cultural heritage, in line with the objectives promoted by the “S.O.S. Patrimonio” Call for Proposals of Fondazione Cariplo, which funded the project together with Fondazione Pomara Scibetta and INAF – National Institute for Astrophysics, Brera Astronomical Observatory.
The latter is also the lead partner of the project, which originated from its collaboration with the University of Milan’s Brera Botanical Garden, the site that hosts the dome and with which it shares research, enhancement, and public outreach activities.
INFO
https://museoastronomico.brera.inaf.it/en/the-restauration-of-the-cupolino-astronomico/
