Numerical modelling and seismic assessment of the basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo

The paper discusses the static behaviour and the seismic vulnerability of the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo (Italy). The vulnerability assessment of the Basilica was evaluated according to the provisions of the Italian “Guidelines for the assessment and mitigation of the seismic risk of the cultural heritage” (DPCM 2011) that identi-fy a methodology of analysis based on three different levels of evaluation (LV1, analysis at territorial level; LV2, local analysis and LV3, global analysis), according to an increasing level of knowledge. A detailed and careful knowledge process, which included an experimental in-situ investigation, allowed to characterize the ge-ometric and mechanical parameters required to perform a reliable structural analysis. The finite element (FE) modelling technique was employed to perform the global analysis (LV3), where the non-linear behaviour of masonry was taken into account by proper constitutive assumptions. Discussing the capacity of the Basilica to hori-zontal loads (evaluated together with the seismic expected demand), the paper criti-cally discusses the employability of pushover global analysis for the seismic as-sessment of Basilica-type churches.