ABSTRACT
The Cathedral of Milan is studied in relation to the observed damage and structural system configuration in the nave and aisles. The damage results from relevant events in the history of the construction, ageing of the structure, soil settlement, vibrations, environmental conditions, corrosion, etc. The data of the monitoring systems available since 1966 provide information about the foundation settlements and column verticality, caused by lowering of the water table in the 20th century and slowly continuing at present. Information was gathered on damage in the vaults, arches and iron ties, on the basis of new observations compared to the documentation related to the repairs carried out in the 20th century. The chapter describes the research carried out on the first part of the nave built in time starting from 1415 and repaired between 1991 and 2001. It aims to understand the causes of the damage observed in the structures.
