Structural Modelling of a 18th-century Neapolitan Staircase

The most recent European provisions on cultural heritage enhancement give strong importance to safeguarding the identity values of the places and recovery of local traditions. Within this context, the research project STARES focuses on the masonry staircases of the Neapolitan 18th century located in residential palaces and based on renowned models designed by the architect Fernando Sanfelice: a built heritage of immense architectural and cultural value, which also contains a construction tradition to be known and safeguarded. In this paper, a notable example of Sanfelice’s production is analysed with the aim of understanding how the geometry influences the response under vertical loadings and identifying critical issues which may affect safety. Architectural survey of the case study is presented together with a Finite Element structural model of the flight with landings taking into account the main geometrical features of the staircase and based on a novel nonlinear material description. The outcomes shed light on the structural behaviour deriving from the complicated and audacious geometry of late baroque staircases, highlighting the critical importance of the representation of boundary conditions and overall geometry.