Digital Twins for the Protection of UNESCO Architectural Heritage in Genoa
Genoa: A Living Museum Under Siege by Pollution and Mass Tourism
Walking through Genoa is like leafing through a history book open to the sky. Its cobblestone streets, centuries-old palaces, and aristocratic air recall times of commercial splendor, when the city was one of the great powers of the Mediterranean.
But, like any good story, there is also an antagonist. Or several, as is the case: pollution, mass tourism, and climate change are leaving their mark on the city’s architectural jewels.
The area of Le Strade Nuove and the Sistema dei Palazzi dei Rolli, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2006, is one of the most iconic areas of Genoa. The truth is that, despite the name, it is nothing new, since its buildings were built at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries. The site comprises a group of Renaissance and Baroque mansions that coincided with the splendor of the Republic of Genoa.
Behind the change
However, these magnificent structures now bear the scars of time and urbanization:
- Black carbon from traffic darkens the ancient stones, as if someone had sketched shadows in the city with coal.
- Acid rain wears away marble and limestone facades, slowly erasing the details carved with care centuries ago.
- Humidity and sudden changes in temperature play with the materials as if they were plasticine, causing cracks and deformations.
- If that were not enough, pollution would encourage the appearance of fungi and lichens, which would turn the walls into canvases for art that is not exactly welcome.
In response, the Genoa administration embraces cutting-edge technology to preserve its past while ensuring a sustainable future. Enter digital twins—a groundbreaking solution that anticipates structural deterioration before it becomes irreversible.
The solution: Digital Twins to Predict and Prevent Architectural Decay
Genoa needed extra eyes, a way to observe the invisible, to anticipate problems before they were irreparable. The answer came with Enheritage, an innovative project in which Libelium participated, led by the local company Dartys Engineering.
The key was the creation of digital twins, virtual replicas of historic buildings that allow real-time analysis of the impact of the environment on them.
The solution integrates environmental information, including air quality and meteorological variables, obtained by combining Libelium’s IoT devices and satellite Earth observation products with proximity measurement techniques of the external surfaces of buildings, in line with Genoa’s 2050 Action Plan.
These digital models, combined with IoT sensors, not only monitor the current state of the structures but also allow for the prediction of their future deterioration.
What Are Digital Twins and How Do They Work?
Digital twins are virtual replicas of historic buildings, allowing experts to analyze the impact of environmental factors on their structure. These advanced models integrate IoT sensors, satellite data, and AI-driven analytics to monitor, predict, and mitigate damage.
In line with Genoa’s 2050 Action Plan, the project combines smart monitoring systems to create a real-time feedback loop, ensuring proactive conservation efforts.
How Does Genoa’s Digital Twin Work?
Data Visualization and Real-Time Analysis
Libelium’s IoT sensors, deployed at key historical sites like Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Tursi, collect vital environmental data:
✅ Airborne pollutants: SO₂, O₃, NO₂
✅ Particulate matter: PM1, PM2.5, PM10
✅ Black carbon concentration, humidity, and temperature variations
✅ Smart Rainfall System (SRS): Measuring rainfall-induced erosion
Real-time air quality maps, which show visually and understandably the impact of pollution on buildings. The city no longer has to wait years to see how the air destroys its monuments: now it can anticipate.
Integration with satellite and meteorological algorithmic models** to detect patterns and predict future threats.
Integration with satellite and meteorological technology
These digital models don’t just passively track deterioration—they provide interactive, real-time air quality maps, allowing city officials to visualize the impact of pollution on buildings instantly.
By integrating satellite and meteorological models, the system detects patterns, predicts future threats, and informs proactive conservation strategies. Genoa no longer has to wait years to observe the effects of environmental damage; it can now intervene before irreversible harm occurs.
Beyond Preservation: Protecting Public Health
In Italy, the number of sites declared cultural heritage by UNESCO is constantly increasing; therefore, so is public spending for their management and conservation.
With changing weather patterns, historic buildings are increasingly exposed to extreme weather events such as torrential rains or acid rain.
Predicting deterioration will not only help prevent it and save heritage conservation costs, but also help local citizens and tourists become aware of how they impact Genoa.
Measurable Impact: How Genoa Benefits from Digital Twin Technology
The deployment of Libelium’s digital twin solution has already yielded tangible benefits for Genoa’s historic conservation efforts:
✅ Strategic Preservation: Prioritizing the most vulnerable sites, optimizing intervention efforts, and reducing unnecessary expenses.
✅ Sustainable Tourism Management: Preventing overcrowding in fragile heritage zones during high pollution periods.
✅ Citizen and Tourist Awareness: Real-time impact maps educate the public on environmental damage.
✅ Alignment with Genoa 2050 Vision: Strengthening the city’s smart and sustainable development goals.
This pioneering project proves that historic cities no longer have to choose between preserving their past and embracing their future—they can have both.
The result is more conscious tourism and a city that does not have to choose between its legacy and its future: it can have both.
The beauty of this story is that this architectural complex represents the first example in Europe of an urban development project within a unitary framework.
Surely, the architects of the buildings that make up the Strade Nuove would not have imagined even in their wildest dreams that technology they could not even imagine would protect their project.
A Blueprint for Global Heritage Conservation
Genoa is only the first chapter of a much larger movement. Digital twins are a game-changing innovation that can revolutionize heritage conservation worldwide. This technology is highly adaptable and scalable, making it an ideal solution for other UNESCO heritage cities and climate-sensitive regions:
🏛 Venice, Prague, and Toledo – Cities where tourism-driven degradation threatens historic landmarks.
🏙 Cultural hotspots with high visitor density, accelerating wear on centuries-old buildings.
🌍 Regions facing climate instability, where extreme weather events accelerate structural decay.
Recognizing its transformative potential, Enheritage was selected as a finalist for the World Smart City Awards 2023 in the Enabling Technology category.
Digital Twins: A Technological Time Machine for Cultural Heritage
By leveraging digital twins, we are bridging the past, present, and future—understanding history, monitoring real-time environmental impact, and ensuring sustainable preservation.
Through innovation, we are not just advancing history; we are protecting it.
Explore More:
Digital Twins for Smart Cities & Sustainable Tourism
Discover how Libelium’s digital twin technology is shaping the future of heritage conservation and sustainable urban planning.
