Brunelleschi's Dome joins digital anti-graffiti initiative Autography

Brunelleschi's Dome in Florence has joined the Autography project, an app developed by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore to combat vandalism. After two months of cleaning, the dome's interior walls have been restored to integrity, removing thousands of graffiti. Two new digital stations have been installed along the visitor route. In the first months of the experiment, over 18,000 digital messages were left, while only about ten physical graffiti were made on Giotto's Campanile, all promptly removed. The app allows visitors to leave messages in various styles (pen, marker, brush, spray, pencil) on textures simulating marble, stone, wood, copper, fresco, and brick. All digital writings are cataloged and preserved in the Opera's historical archive. A first printed volume collecting 10,000 messages has been published. Social media manager Alice Filipponi announced that Autography will soon be downloadable on Apple and Android devices for use outside the monuments. The dome attracts 800,000 visitors annually who climb 463 steps.