Measures and research on materials for first intervention in case of extreme events:

Oriana Sartiani, Monica Galeotti

Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Firenze

OPD’s latest experiences

FR-IT Bilateral Cooperation in Heritage Science – 8^th Edition

TAKING ACTION IN THE FACE OF EXTREME EVENTS

Firenze, Opificio delle Pietre Dure, 

September 26th, 2024

Activity of recovering artworks damaged and of ensuring the safety of cultural heritage artefacts: messa in sicurezza

​

• Florence flood of 1966
• Mafia attack in 1993 ai Georgofili – Gallerie Uffizi

​

Sequence of seismic events:

• 2009 earthquake of Aquila - Abruzzo (Musé di Celano)
• 2012 earthquake in Emilia Romagna (Palazzo Ducale di Sassuolo, joint experiences OPD and ICR)
• 2016 earthquake in Lazio-Marche-Abruzzo-Umbria.
• From 2017 to the present in Spoleto Umbria (activity of ensuring the safety of cultural heritage artefacts kept in the storage unit of Santo Chiodo di Spoleto.)

​

Flood

• 2022 Marche in accordance with UCCR – Segretariato regionale- SBAP Marche
• 2023 Toscana: in accordance with SABAP Toscana Archivi e Biblioteche

​

​

O.P.D’s historical experience in emergencies

1993 Georgofili – Uffizi: effects from the shock wave

2016 Basilica San Benedetto , Norcia.

2016 San Salvatore a Campi- Norcia

2016 Marche

The recovery of artworks and their handling and packaging on site

The recovery of artworks and their handling and packaging on site represent a crucial phase in the process of conservation. These phases must be organized and carried out by specialized personnel according to modalities adapted to the artefacts’ characteristics and conservation conditions, as well as to their volume and weight, using appropriate materials and equipment.

Activity is not be confused with:

- the first aid intervention carried out on site during the recovery

- the restoration, which will be carried out at subsequent times and method

​

Finality :

​

• Ensuring the safety of an artwork focuses on interventions that, although partial, aim to arrest and prevent further deterioration of conservation conditions that could turn into structural degradation phenomena that can be difficult to recover if not dealt with quickly, and with a much higher cost.

​

• The interventions are carried out with operational phases and procedures calibrated on many different types of artworks, with different constituent materials and thus diversified conservation conditions and needs, according to a schedule dictated primarily by the conservation urgency of the artefact.

​

​

​

​

​

​

Ensuring the safety: absolute priority for the preservation of the cultural heritage artefact

Main types of degradation

Anoxic treatment of organic materials. Preventive campain on organic artefacts to contain possible infestations and their diffusion.

 Essential photographic documentation (packaging-unpacking; before, during and after the operations)

 Creation of a Form on the artwork securing - (Risk Map database - DG-SPC)

 Recovery of the adhesion and cohesion of the surface layers (where possible)

 Protection of the surface layers (e.g. temporary strips, bandages, facing, etc.)

 Removal of incoherent and/or weakly coherent deposits (not to be underestimated)

 Deinfestation and disinfection

 Eventual disassembling

 Reducing deformations/recovery of disassembled parts

 Repairing of structural solidity (also temporary and partial)

 Protection, recovery and cataloguing of fragments, erratic parts

 Adequate packaging to allow a periodic review of the artwork. Relocation of artworks in storage, together with a synthetic description sheet

 Completion of the Form on the artwork securing, to provide the entity in charge of its conservation with the tools to carry out the planning of restoration work, with a list of priorities, needs and indications for the intervention

 Final completion of the Form on the artwork securing in the Risk Map System

Main steps for securing an artwork: principal activities (sequence can vary)

Linee guida

per l’individuazione,

l’adeguamento,

la progettazione e l’allestimento di depositi

per il ricovero temporaneo di beni culturali mobili

con annessi laboratori di restauro.

Direzione Generale Sicurezza del Patrimonio culturale del MIC

Circolare SG n.14 del 17 marzo 2022

​

Pubblicazione A cura di Marica Mercalli

Campisano Editore 2023

​

​

​

The novelty is the design of the restoration workshop adjoined to the storage unit

La Crocifissione della Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate , Frascaro (Norcia). 227x203 cm.

From damaged fragments to the recovery of the canvas and its image

Aim of the research 

​

​

To explore the potential of temporary binding media as first aid treatment in emergency contexts for securing and protection and for safe handling and transport of damaged artworks

​

​

Research team’ members:

Mario Bandiera,Paolo Belluzzo, Dominique Petrocchi, Vincenzo Amato, Lorenzo Lisi, Andrea Cagnini

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

CHANGES PROJECT- SPOKE 7: PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGES, NATURAL AND ANTHROPIC RISKS

To restore the cohesion and/or adhesion of the layers that have lost the ability to stay together

Consolidation

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

Consolidation of Paint and Ground-© Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, Amersfoort 2023

Securing artworks in the disaster aftermath

Avoiding further loss of materials

​

Safe in-situ intervention

​

Handling and transport

​

​

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

Requirements of materials for temporary consolidation​

Reversibility

No effects on the materials of the artwork

​

Easiness of application and readiness-to-use

Quick setting

Protection against moisture and dust

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

Volatile Binding Media

VBM

Sublimation at room temperature

​

Consolidation

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

Volatile Binding Media

VBM

Sublimation at room temperature

​

Consolidation

​

Hydrophobicity

​

Adhesion

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

How do VBM work?

Sublimation rate

Hydrophobicity

Consolidation power

Penetration depth

Impact on the artwork’ integrity

​

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

Application vs. performance of VBM

In molten state

​

Dissolved in non-polar solvents

​

• Stoneworks
• Terracotta & ceramics
• Metals
• Paper
• Bones and fossils

Compatibility with the substrate

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

Application vs. performance of VBM

Melted Thicker and more compact films

Larger crystals

​

​

Solutions Thinner films

Tiny crystals

Greater penetration depth

Lower consolidation power

​

Menthol in cyclohexene

Menthol in aceton

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

Research topic:

penetration depth

Menthol in ethyl alcohol

Menthol in cyclohexene

Menthol in

aceton

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

Research topic:

effect on the integrity

Applicazione dei VBM fusi a differenti temperature

Applicazione dei VBM con diversi solventi (soluzioni sature)

Possible changes of the porosity

​

Micro-CT scan on various materials

​

​

Collaboration with CRIST- UNIFI

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts

Giovanni Teutonico, 1494, Crucifix, Carved and painted wood�174 cm x 174 cm ​�Santa Maria Argentea - Norcia (PG) ​�©Archidiocesi di Spoleto-Norcia�

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts:

a case study

Giovanni Teutonico, 1494, Crucifix, Carved and painted wood�174 cm x 174 cm ​�Santa Maria Argentea - Norcia (PG) ​�©Archidiocesi di Spoleto-Norcia�

Menthyl lactate

Menthol

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts:

a case study

Materials for temporary consolidation of artworks in emergency contexts:

a case study

Thanks for your attention!

Oriana Sartiani & Monica Galeotti

Opificio delle Pietre Dure

​

oriana.sartiani@cultura.gov.it

monica.galeotti@cultura.gov.it

​

www.opificiodellepietredure.it