Istituto Centrale Del Restauro Research Articles

Enhanced affordable methods for assessing material characteristics and consolidation effects on stone and mortar

It is rather difficult to set up non-destructive or considerate in situ tests for assessing material characteristics and consolidation effects on historic stone and mortar. However, some simple methods have proved to be helpful when applied appropriately and this paper provides brief information about two such methods: peeling tests, also known as the 'Scotch tape' method, and surface water uptake measurements using a digitized microtube. Both methods have some history of development and use Mora and Torraca (1965 Bollettino Istituto Centrale del Restauro (Rome) pp 109–32), Giorgi et al (2000 Stud. Conserv. 45 154–61), Tiano et al (2006 J. Cult. Heritage 7 49–55), Lehmann (2004 Thesis, Hochschule fur Bildende Kunste, Dresden pp 33–34), Drdacký et al (2011 Proc. European Workshop on Cultural Heritage Preservation pp 126–30) and Zima (2011 Proc. 49th Int. Scientific Conf. on Experimental Stress Analysis pp 441–8) without any standardized support. This lack of a validated procedure can lead to some deficiencies and misinterpretations for applying the peeling test. Also, in the case of the digitized micro-tube, there can be some difficulties when the device is applied, which could prevent its wider adoption or even lead to rejection of the micro-tube technique. The paper summarizes basic principles for the application of both methods and reports illustrative results for laboratory and historic building investigations.

Microorganisms Attack Synthetic Polymers in Items Representing Our Cultural Heritage

Microorganisms Attack Synthetic Polymers in Items Representing Our Cultural Heritage

The Risk Map of Italian Cultural Heritage

The Risk Map of Italian Cultural Heritage is a current research project of the Istituto Centrale del Restauro (ICR), with the aim of developing a more rational and economical means of undertaking the maintenance, conservation, and restoration of the architectural and archaeological monuments of Italy.The first step of the project has been to create a geographical information system (GIS), which collects, processes, and manages both cartographic and alphanumerical data coming from peripheral units based in many Italian towns by the ‘Soprintendenze’, being the territorial departments of the Ministry of Culture. The connection between environmental danger and risk to the monuments is highlighted through a mapping process, by overlapping computerized maps having a thematic content (such as air pollution, climate, and earthquakes) and the distribution of cultural assets. The second step has ensured that the above data were homogeneous through defining standardized schedules at different levels of detail. These schedules contain information both on the environment of the territory and the conservation status of the monuments.Future development, according to the methodological approach adopted by the Risk Map project, foresees the census area as a smaller territorial unit. Moreover, it is the opinion of the authors that an improvement in documentation and recording of all formal and constituent elements of the monuments is essential in order to obtain a true reconstruction (either real or virtual) of damaged cultural property.

Characterization of the algal flora growing on ancient Roman frescoes

The walls of some rooms of the Domus aurea in Rome (Italy) have several remarkable paintings of the Roman age, which are attributed by the archaeologists to a painter named Fabullus (Bor­ da 1958). This monument was opened to the visitors from 1950 to 1981, and during that time green crusts of biological nature developed on some frescoes. In order to stop the biodeterio­ ration, the incandescent lamps within the rooms were switched off. Nevertheless the crusts re­ mained and became larger and the frescoes were further damaged. At the request of the Istituto Centrale del Restauro of Rome we have carried out research in order to determine the charac­ teristics of the algal biocenosis that is growing on the walls with and without frescoes. For the investigation, we chose the eighty-fifth room of the Domus aurea where the relative hu­ midity approaches 95%, the temperature is ap­ proximately 18°C, and natural light intensity is less than 10 lux. The air comes from the outside through holes in the ceiling of the neighbouring room, since room 85 has no outside door. The artificial lighting previously used had an intensity of 145-150 lux at the surface with frescoes, and of 1 10 lux below the lamp on the walls without frescoes. Corresponding with the lighted areas there are several crusts, 1-2 mm deep, different in colour and causing different degrees of dete­ rioration. Samples were collected to the right (sample 1, blue-green), above (sample 2, dark green) and to the left of the lamp (sample 3, blue­ green). The last sample (sample 4, grey-brown) was taken below the lamp from an area without frescoes where the crust was hardly visible (Fig. 1). Samples 1 and 3 were soft and moist, while sample 4 was drier and rich in mineral compo­ nents. The various algal taxa were very difficult to identify in the fresh samples because of the compact structure formed by the com penetration of microorganisms and due to the necessity to squeeze the material in order to reveal the char­ acteristic structures of single organisms. Obser­ vations were made with a Leitz Laborlux D light microscope and a Leitz Orthoplan ft.uorescent microscope Ploemopak 2 with filter set 546 nm, and barrier filter 580 nm. Scanning electron mi­ croscopy was carried out by means of a Scan­ nosan EM on either fresh samples or fixed sam­ ples in 3% glutaraldehyde in 0. 1 M sodium cacodylate buffer pH 6.9, dehydrated, critical point dried with CO2 and gold coated (Favali et al 1978). For cultures, 0.2 g of each sample were ground to a powder, suspended in 0.9% NaCI to a final volume of 10 ml and kept for 24 h at 18°C and 150 lux of light intensity (the correspondent PAR was 2.7 JLmol m-2 S-I). From this suspension I ml was inoculated onto a double series of Petri dishes containing the following media: BD (Bas­ lerova & Dvorakova 1962), BG 11 (Stanier et al 1971), Detmer (Tomaselli et al 1979), Kolkwitz (Tomaselli et aI1979), AN (Albertano et aI 1979), and BN (Albertano et aI1979). The cultures were

Tecnica di esecuzione di alcuni affreschi della Farnesina

The epochal restoration of the entire interior decoration of the Villa Farnesina, which is currently underway by the Istituto Centrale del Restauro, is revealing the identification of a rich variety of technical issues. Specifically, the campaign in the Sala delle Prospettive, undertaken between 1976 and 1983, focuses on several new matters relating to the Renaissance tradition of Roman fresco painting. Chemical analysis of the intonaco coupled with the detailed reconstruction of the giornate results in a fascinating reevaluation of the frescoes themselves relating to their manufacture. The inspection of the surfaces reveals the exact manner in which the frescoes were constructed, making use of cartoni and spolveri, or on occasion of no final preparatory drawings at all. Secondly, the restoration of 14 pilasters a grottesche in the Sala della Galatea clearly demonstrates the exclusive use of spolveri. The remaining 11 pilasters will be cleaned in 1985. Once this campaign in the room is completed, then the exact nature of this early 16th-century cycle, with its 19th-century ‘restorations,’ will be identifiable, and will subsequently be integrated with the restoration of the Loggia di Psiche, which will commence in 1985.

Earthquake Damage to Works of Art in the Friuli Region of Italy

Abstract In 1976, a series of powerful earthquakes devastated the region of Friuli, located in the northeast corner of Italy. The artistic patrimony of this area was seriously damaged, provoking major conservation problems of both emergency and long-term natures. In collaboration with Italian authorities, the Istituto Centrale del Restauro, Rome(ICR), and the International Centre for Conservation, Rome(ICCROM), American conservators have been active in a number of earthquake-related conservation projects. These include: surveys of and emergency first aid to damaged mural paintings; major treatments of damaged mural paintings; a survey of earthquake-displaced objects; and the creation and operation of a laboratory for the treatment of damaged polychromed sculpture. This paper outlines some of the special conservation problems created by earthquakes and describes a number of conservation efforts to date.

Is Cradling the Answer?

NEW variations in the method of cradling suggested currently by Kozlowski [i] and employed in recent years by the Istituto Centrale del Restauro [2] are significant refinements of an ancient mechanical principle. In these new applications of the principle of free mechanical control, certain hindrances from cumbersome components and structural faults have been eliminated. These defects Eastlake must have had in mind a hundred odd years ago when he warned that: 'Panels on which fine pictures have been executed are often injured by the misapplication of parquetting. It would, therefore, appear that the method of safely strengthening wood by ledges, however familiar to cabinet makers, is not so generally understood as could be wished by those who undertake operations of far greater importance than the construction of the most costly furniture' [3f]. There is no reason to suspect that Eastlake questioned the underlying principle. Yet it is the principle which is now often being disputed. Doubts are especially prevalent in the United States, and there are reasons why these doubts should arise in this country. The climatic extremes in the parts of our country where the greatest number of panel paintings are housed are broader than in most parts of Europe. The following table of mean temperatures (in centigrade degrees) in the coldest and warmest months of the year in a few American and European cities bears this out [4]: Coldest Warmest Mean month month range Washington 1 5 25 235 Boston 22-3 24-2 Chicago 4 22.8 26-8 Minneapolis 10 23 33 Rome 7'5 245 17 Vienna 0 18-8 18-8 Berlin o*2 19 18-8 Helsinki 6-3 16-6 22-9

News Letter from Rome

Previous articleNext article No AccessNews Letter from RomeA. W. Van BurenA. W. Van Buren Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Archaeology Volume 57, Number 3July 1953 The journal of the Archaeological Institute of America Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/500061 Copyright © 1953 by the Archaeological Institute of America. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.