Wooden trusses

The roof made sound again.

In the course of inspections at the Basilica of San Giacomo degli Spagnoli, numerous instances of water infiltration were observed, which had caused damage to the vaults, ceilings and masonry of the Basilica’s roof space, attributable to the faulty operation of the two rainwater downpipes that collect the rainwater coming both from the pitched roof and from the upper roofing of the adjacent Palazzo San Giacomo.

The vault of the central nave of the Basilica of San Giacomo is covered by a double-pitched roof, built with 18 chestnut-wood trusses. Each truss rests at both ends on seatings cut into the perimeter masonry.

The structural failures affected most of the trusses of the roof, which were found to be rotten at their bearings. The reduction of the load-bearing section triggered a misalignment of the trusses, visible in the irregular line of the roof pitches. It was also observed that some of the truss joints had come loose and the tie beam was no longer supported by the king post, whose metal stirrup had come to rest on the masonry vault below.

Friends of Naples intervened to replace the failed trusses with new wooden trusses of adequate load-bearing section.