Measuring Sacred Space: Survey and Analysis of Santa Maria della Steccata
Sandra Mikolajewska
Published 2025-12-23
Keywords
- Digital Integrated Survey,
- Proportional analysis,
- Renaissance church,
- Cultural Heritage Digitization,
- Santa Maria della Steccata
How to Cite
Copyright (c) 2025 Andrea Zerbi, Sandra Mikolajewska
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
The Church of Santa Maria della Steccata in Parma represents one of the most significant examples of centrally planned Renaissance architecture in the Emilia-Romagna region. Despite its historical relevance and the continuous need for conservation and restoration, the monument has only been surveyed systematically on a few occasions during the twentieth century (in 1904 and 1982). Although both campaigns were appropriate for their time and context, the data collected are now outdated when compared to the levels of precision achievable with contemporary technologies.
This paper presents the results of a survey carried out in 2024, which enabled a highly accurate documentation of the church. The extensive scale of the basilica, its intricate morphological articulation, and its distinctive urban setting required the adoption of an integrated methodology. This approach combined Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), Close-Range Photogrammetry (CRP), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), all supported by a georeferenced topographic control network.
The survey accurately documented the complex layout of the basilica, defined by a Greek cross plan inscribed in an almost perfect square. The main goal of the study is to analyse, for the first time on the basis of updated metric data, the geometric and spatial structure of the building, with particular attention to the compositional principles underlying its design. Through an examination of the proportional relationships, the aim is to understand their meaning within the context of religious architecture.
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