On the Museum Monitoring at the Time of COVID-19. Methodological Approach and Application to Palazzo Altemps in Rome

This article presents a multiparametric and multiscale methodological approach devised during the COVID-19 pandemic event for the environmental monitoring of artworks housed in a museum. The pandemic event provided the opportunity to analyze the museum environment in the absence of visitors, thus enabling the evaluation of indoor conditions solely influenced by environmental, meteorological, and microclimatic factors. The experimental analysis was conducted in the Altemps Palace in Rome. Microclimatic variables, such as temperature, relative humidity, and air quality (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) were monitored using a network of MeMS sensors, which were made interoperable through Long Range transmission technology. To establish a comparative reference, indoor were compared with outdoor measurements, along with ground measurements (provided by the Regional Prevention and Environment Agency, and weather forecasts based on the COSMO model. At the same time, analyses were conducted on the conservation status of the exhibited artworks. The analysis of the collected data revealed critical issues regarding the indoor microclimatic conditions, particularly related to the significant variability of the relative humidity. Additionally, numerous episodes exceeding the maximum threshold for PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were logged, emphasizing pollution concerns. The research findings have practical implications for the conservation and protection of the artworks housed in the museum.