ABSTRACT
The paper describes the frame vault construction technique of the anti-refectory of St. Nicholas Abbey in Rodengo Saiano, the oldest still-functioning Olivetan monastery founded by the Cluniac Order in the 11th century in the province of Brescia. The vault covering the anti-refectory is one of the first examples of 16th-century frame vaults, widely disseminated in Northern Italy, that mirrors the Renaissance wooden-coffered ceilings with painted panels surrounded by brackets. Flat vaults cover the space between the brackets and the central panel. This type of vaulting was usually built-in masonry and easily constructed, using light centering. However, the anti-refectory is covered by a mortared rubble vault, which raises some questions about constructing this vaulting type. The understanding of the vault construction technique is carried out through historical research, geometric, thermographic, photogrammetric surveys, and 3D modelling.
