Treasures Underfoot:�Preserving Venice’s Church Floor Artifacts�

Danielle Dechaine, Meghan Hennessey, Jeffrey Orszulak & Kevin Rullmann

Churches in Venice

144 Total, 19 on Islands (Not Shown)

Catholic Churches

138 Total, 17 on Islands (Not Shown)

Active Churches

88 Total, 12 on Islands (Not Shown)

Church Floor Artifacts

• Tombs: 1728

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Church Floor Artifacts

• Plaques: 493

Churches Containing Floor Artifacts

1999-2005

74 Total, 6 on Islands (Not Shown)

2,221 Artifacts

Church Floor Artifact Assessment

• Floor Elevation

Church Floor Artifact Assessment

• Floor Elevation
• Location

Church Floor Artifact Assessment

• Floor Elevation
• Location
• Artifact Dimensions

Church Floor Artifact Assessment

• Floor Elevation
• Location
• Artifact Dimensions
• Inscription

Church Floor Artifact Assessment

• Floor Elevation
• Location
• Artifact Dimensions
• Inscription
• Artifact Conditions

Floor Artifacts per Church

Floor Artifacts per Church

Santi Giovanni e Paolo

207 artifacts

Floor Artifacts per Church

Frari

59 artifacts

Floor Artifacts per Church

San Giorgio Maggiore

7 artifacts

Objectives

• Organize previously collected artifact data
• Update church information
• Assess and rank church floor artifacts
• Integrate information into Venipedia pages

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Objectives

• Organize previously collected artifact data
• Update church information
• Assess and rank church floor artifacts
• Integrate information into Venipedia pages

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Organize Previously Collected Artifact Data

2002

2003

2004

2005

1999

Organize Artifact Data

2012

Inscription Analysis

• Family:
• Familia : 43
• Gradonico : 6
• Frizier : 2
• Maffei : 4

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• “D.O.M.” : 430

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• Patrician : 93
• Art:
• 49 coats of arms
• 17 skull and cross bones
• 51 art within text
• 15 seals

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Complete Church Database

Objectives

• Organize previously collected artifact data
• Update church information
• Assess and rank church floor artifacts
• Integrate information into Venipedia pages

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Objectives

• Organize previously collected artifact data
• Update church information
• Assess and rank church floor artifacts
• Integrate information into Venipedia pages

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Pictures of Church Façades

Field Data Collection

Update Church Information

Update Church Information

Complete Church Database

Objectives

• Organize previously collected artifact data
• Update church information
• Assess and rank church floor artifacts
• Integrate information into Venipedia pages

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Objectives

• Organize previously collected artifact data
• Update church information
• Assess and rank church floor artifacts
• Integrate information into Venipedia pages

​

Types of Damage

• Fading and Wear
• Readability
• Cracks
• Holes
• Joint Gaps

Fading and Wear

• Damage or wearing away of surface inscriptions

Readability

• Condition of the letters of an artifact’s inscription

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Cracks

• Any separation in the stone surface

Holes

• Pitting of the artifact’s surface, not a through ‘hole’

Joint Gaps

• Gap between two stones, the artifact and the rest of the floor

Ranking the Damage of the Artifacts

• Damage Score Equation

[W1] (Fading and wear)+{[W2] (Readability)}+

[W3] (Cracks)+[W4] (Holes)+[W5] (Joint gaps)

Condition Evaluation

Damage Ranking

Regions of Damage Ranking

Excessive Damage

Excessive Damage

Chiesa di Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Excessive Damage

Chiesa di San Cassiano

High Damage

High Damage

Chiesa di San Giovanni Elemosinario

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High Damage

Chiesa di S. Moisè Profeta

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Intermediate Damage

Intermediate Damage

Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta del Carmelo

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Intermediate Damage

Chiesa di San Bartolomeo

Low Damage

Low Damage

Chiesa di San Canciano

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Low Damage

Chiesa di San Rocco

Minimal Damage

Minimal Damage

Chiesa di Santi Salvatore

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Minimal Damage

Chiesa di San Pietro Martire

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Average Artifact Condition Score

More Damaged

Churches

Average Artifact Condition Score�and Floor Height

More Damaged

Churches

Artifacts in Damage Categories

Priority Churches for Artifact Restoration:

• Santi Apostoli
• Le Convertite
• San Zanipolo
• San Marcuola

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• San Salvador
• Gli Scalzi
• Tolentini

Churches

Number of Artifacts

Artifacts in Damage Categories

• Santi Apostoli:
• 68 Artifacts
• 38 High Damage

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Number of Artifacts

Churches

Artifacts in Damage Categories

• Le Convertite
• 56 Artifacts
• 29 High Damage

Number of Artifacts

Churches

Artifacts in Damage Categories

• San Zanipolo,
• 207 Artifacts
• 88 High Damage

Number of Artifacts

Churches

Artifacts in Damage Categories

• San Marcuola
• 80 Artifacts
• 28 High Damage

Number of Artifacts

Churches

Artifacts in Damage Categories

• San Salvador
• 124 artifacts
• 18 High Damage

Number of Artifacts

Churches

Artifacts in Damage Categories

• Gli Scalzi
• 65 Artifacts
• 34 High Damage

Number of Artifacts

Churches

Artifacts in Damage Categories

• Tolentini
• 109 Artifacts
• 20 High Damage

Number of Artifacts

Churches

Location of Most Damaged Floors

Tolentini

Gli Scalzi

Santi Apostoli

San Salvador

San Marcuola

San Zanipolo

Le Convertite

Percentage High Artifact Damage

Priority Churches for Artifact Restoration:

• Santi Apostoli
• Le Cappuccine
• San Giorgio dei Greci

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• San Luca
• San Paolo Apostolo
• Santissimo Redentore

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Churches

Percentage High Artifact Damage

• Santi Apostoli:
• 68 Artifacts
• 56% High Damage

Churches

Percentage High Artifact Damage

• Le Cappuccine
• 68 Artifacts
• 70% High Damage

Churches

Percentage High Artifact Damage

• I Greci
• 5 Artifacts
• 60% High Damage

Churches

Percentage High Artifact Damage

• San Polo
• 12 Artifacts
• 58% High Damage

Churches

Percentage High Artifact Damage

• Il Redentore
• 1 Artifact
• 100% High Damage

Churches

Percentage High Artifact Damage

• San Luca
• 1 Artifact
• 100% High Damage

Churches

Highest % of Highly Damaged Artifacts

Santi Apostoli

Redentore

San Polo

San Luca

Greci

• Le Cappuccine

Objectives

• Organize previously collected artifact data
• Update church information
• Assess and rank church floor artifacts
• Integrate information into Venipedia pages

​

Objectives

• Organize previously collected artifact data
• Update church information
• Assess and rank church floor artifacts
• Integrate information into Venipedia pages

​

Hierarchy of Venipedia Pages

Church Floor Artifacts Page

Churches Page

Example Church Page

San Giorgio

Artifact Page

Churches with Completed Venipedia Pages

Churches with Completed Venipedia Pages

Churches with Completed Venipedia Pages

Churches with Completed Venipedia Pages

Churches with Completed Venipedia Pages

Churches with Completed Venipedia Pages

Churches with Completed Venipedia Pages

139 Church Pages

2,221Artifact Pages

Thank You

Special Thanks To:

Fabio Carrera

John Zeugner

Benny Lichtner

Kyle Miller

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https://sites.google.com/site/ve12churches/

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