In this work, a simplified structural analysis of the main dome of San Francesco di
Paola in Naples is performed by adopting both analytical and graphical approaches.
The analytical process is based on the simplified membrane theory and the graphical
methodology on the slicing technique. Both methods are used to determine the safety
of the dome design under vertical and horizontal loads. We explore the effects of
earthquakes by introducing horizontal forces proportional to the weight. Since the
slicing technique does not consider the hoop compressive stresses building
up in the upper part of the cap, the geometrical safety factor obtained by
combining the analytical with the graphical method for the sole dome is
lower than the one obtained with the analytical method. The estimate of the
factor
for the dome-buttress structural system obtained with the graphical method is
greater than the level accepted for the seismic area of Naples.