Despite the recognised importance of microclimatic studies in historic buildings for the proper conservation of their collections and of historically and culturally important objects, knowledge about their behaviour in temperate climates is still limited. The past decades have seen the emergence of different specifications focused on the hygrothermal needs of materials. A dynamic approach, based on historical microclimates, has generated consensus among experts as a means to achieve sustainable ranges of temperature and relative humidity. This study aimed to classify the interior microclimate of a historic building in a temperate climate – St. Christopher church, Lisbon –, in order to verify the quality of the microclimate for the proper conservation of materials and to evaluate possible changes. For this purpose, a continuous monitoring system was used between November 2011 and August 2013, with several sensors measuring temperature and relative humidity recording every 10 minutes. The microclimate was classified in accordance with an ASHRAE specification – Handbook HVAC Applications, Chapter 21: Museums, galleries, archives and libraries. The high natural climatic stability verified does not justify the implementation of HVAC systems.
Preventive conservation; Microclimate; Temperature; Relative humidity; Cultural heritage; Thermal inertia
