Dynamic investigation of the “San Pietro” bell-tower in Perugia

This paper presents the analytical and experimental dynamic analysis of a historic masonry bell-tower: the belltower of the Basilica of San Pietro in Perugia, Italy. The tower, about 61.50 m high, is considered one the symbols of the city of Perugia; due to its location on top of a hill on the southern part of the ancient city, the tower dominates the city skyline and is visible from many neighboring towns. The tower includes three main parts: (i) the shaft with dodecagonal cross section reaching the height of about 26 m including basement, (ii) the belfry with hexagonal cross-section reaching the height of about 41 m and (iii) the cusp that completes the tower on the top. The basement is about 8 m high and has a cone shape with width varying from 3.5 to 2 m. Several brick vaults are placed inside the tower at irregular heights. The bells are supported by a recently constructed metallic structure.