St. Catherine's Church, Valletta, Malta: A Self-Powered Measurement System for Preventive Conservation

Microclimatic monitoring in confined spaces is crucial for safeguarding cultural property. This study specifically focused on monitoring the temperature and relative humidity within St. Catherine's Church in Valletta, Malta, home to notable works by Mattia Preti, such as the Martyrdom of St. Catherine. The research exploited two distinct types of devices able to measuring these physical parameters: a commercially available device for comparison alongside the one developed and characterized at the University of Catania. The latter device represents an innovative solution in that it is an autonomous measurement tool using hybrid energy harvesting systems integrated with piezo-thermoelectric transducers. Through on-site experiments and validation, the study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. The results hold significant promise for application in museums, churches, historical buildings, and various indoor/outdoor environments.