San Gemini Preservation Studies

Module 2

Consolidation of Mural Paintings: Support and Pictorial Layers

February 8 – March5, 2027 (4 weeks)

Field work/ Workshops:

Consolidation of murals:

Church of San Giovanni Battista

Consolidation of supporting wall on Fresco fragments on inside of Romanesque and 18th Century facades.

Maddalena Convent:

Consolidation of supporting wall of fresco in Public Library, on 2 in old frescos USL

Palazzo Vecchio

Transfer one fresco strappo to solid support base

Strappo is a fresco’s pictorial layer that has been removed from its original wall support and transferred to a canvas on stretchers. It is an old restoration technique that is no longer used and that heavily damaged the original artwork. On the side room of Palazzo Vecchio there are two Strappos originally from the church of San Francesco.

Module 2 Theory Class 1

Consolidation of Structural Support

Wall Structure

• stone ashlar walls

• ceramic brick

• bonded layered walls

• medieval core walls

• plastered mud walls

• wood structures with wood or cane lath

Deterioration of structural walls

• Natural expansion joints

• Settlement cracks

• Various structural instability

• Delamination of core walls

• Deterioration of wood structures

  Natural shrinking

  Biological

Deterioration of stucco from mural support

• Aging and chemical deterioration of materials

• Delamination

• Humidity, salt and spaulding

• Detachment of lath from structure

• Detachment of plaster from lath

Consolidation of Support

• Structural consolidation

• Consolidation of support layer

· Transfer of Frescos to new support

• Strappo

• Stacco

• New support materials

Module 2 - Theory Class 2

Consolidation of Pictorial Layer

Deterioration factors of pictorial layer

• Atmospheric

  Dust

  Air pollution

• Chemical degradation

  Pigments

  Binders

• Anthropogenic

  Abrasions

  Intentional damage

  Burns

  Overpainting

• Humidity

  Salt efflorescence and spaulding

• Biological

  Molds

Algies

Consolidation of Pictorial layer

• Mechanical

• Chemical

Mural Painting Conservation Program

San Gemini, Italy - January 4 to May14, 2027

Our programs & projects

San Gemini Book & Paper

Mural Painting Conservation

Restoration

SGPS Summer

Research

SG Historic Archives