Microsoft uses AI to create the world’s first 3D copy of the Vatican’s largest cathedral

The high-precision virtual reconstruction will allow everyone to virtually explore St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Fabbrica di San Pietro, the Catholic institution responsible for the basilica’s preservation, has partnered with Microsoft to create a «digital twin of the» structure. Every year, St. Peter’s Basilica is visited by approximately 15 million pilgrims who come to see the Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces.

To implement the project, Microsoft engaged IconemIconem is a world leader in creating three-dimensional copies of historical monuments and archaeological sites., which specializes in the digital preservation of historical monuments. The specialists used the Azure cloud platform and photogrammetry technologies to accurately recreate the architecture.

The Iconem team took more than 400 thousand high-resolution photographs. For three weeks, the specialists scanned the basilica using drones, cameras, and lasers. The images were processed on the Microsoft Azure platform, and artificial intelligence helped to visualize the interior and exterior of the building.

Microsoft’s AI for Good lab provided tools to improve the digital copy with millimeter accuracy. Artificial intelligence helped to identify and map the damage to the building — from cracks to missing mosaic fragments — to plan repair work.

Soon, an interactive website and exhibitions will be launched, where everyone will be able to see St. Peter’s Basilica in digital format.