The Racetrack Oval Frame Vault of Villa Borromeo in Cassano d’Adda

The paper describes the analysis of the oval frame vault of the ballroom of Villa Borromeo in Cassano d’Adda (Milan), one of the most important, yet not deeply studied, countryside villas of the Adda family. The vault is a particular example of a frame vault on an oval plan, where the main elements that characterize the space are the skene arches and the curved lunettes. The article sheds light on the constructive and geometric genesis of this particular type of vaulting, which was a common construction practice of architects and builders in the Modern Age in Northern Italy. The analysis of the vault geometries and construction techniques is carried out through a geometric and photogrammetric survey, the elaboration of drawings, and a 3D model.