The Bust of Pope Alexander VII

Born into a prominent banking family, Fabio Chigi was elected pope in 1655 and became known as Pope Alexander VII. The Chigi family, later becoming the Marshal of the Holy Roman Church, managed conclave security until the 20th century. Giuseppe Mazzuoli, an Italian sculptor, created a stone bust of Alexander VII, which served as a model for bronze versions displayed in Siena and New York.

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The stone bust was scanned using LiDAR technology, which employs harmless laser pulses to generate accurate 3D representations of objects. This scan served as the foundation for a 3D model intended for printing at full scale. Due to the bust's size, the model was divided into 31 separate pieces, with locking mechanisms developed for assembly. The 3D printing process took over 200 hours, after which the pieces were carefully assembled and held in place with masking tape and then glue. This project highlights innovative methods in digital fabrication and the potential for preserving historical artifacts through modern technology.