Ricerc@Sapienza

This paper focuses on the seismic evaluation of the Bell Towers of Lima’s Cathedral. The church, which dates back to 1535, has been modified and reconstructed several times over the centuries, changing its structural assembly in terms of lightening and strengthening. Focusing on the massive 45 m tall towers, linear kinematic analyses have been performed in order to evaluate their vulnerability. The results show how its actual performance is far below the safety requirements of the Peruvian code.

The protection of cultural heritage against earthquake induced actions is one of the main challenges the earthquake engineering science and practice are facing. This article presents a seismic assessment study on one of the most ancient colonial buildings present in Peru, the Cathedral of Lima, focusing on its towers. A historical review highlighted how these structures, together with the whole Cathedral, suffered intense damage and partial collapse during previous earthquakes.