The Giotto (Scrovegni) Chapel was built between 1303 and 1305 and frescoed by Giotto in the same years upon the commission of Enrico degli Scrovegni. The frescoes cover the entire walls and the ceiling of the Chapel.

During centuries, deterioration processes damaged the frescoes and some restorations were made to preserve them. A thorough microclimate monitoring was made in collaboration with the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, Rome, to understand deterioration factors and suggest remedies. A continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity, air motions and stability was performed into the Chapel between 1976 and 1983. This was the first study to apply microclimate to diagnostic purposes. At that time was unclear if the efflorescence were a result of previous infiltrations or the result of condensation in crowded conditions, and it was necessary to distinguish the relevance of these two mechanisms. Humidity mixing ratio gradients were applied to discover moisture absorption and evaporation from frescoes. Daily and seasonal temperature and humidity cycles were recognized and used to understand the exchanges of heat and moisture. The air residence time and leakage were known. Solar beams through windows were calculated and mitigated with a second optically selective pane external to the windows. The lighting system was substituted with a more advanced one, deprived of IR radiation. External particles were stopped with special carpets.