San Gemini Preservation Studies

Mural Painting Conservation Program

San Gemini, Italy - January 4 to May14, 2027

Faculty

Mark Gittins: Academic Director

He is an Australian born art conservator who has been living, studying, and working in Rome since 1990. He graduated in 1993 from the prestigious Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (formerly the Istituto Centrale di Restauro), one of the world’s leading institutions for the training of conservation professionals.

Since completing his studies, he has worked as a conservator with C.B.C. Conservation Beni Culturali Soc. Coop. a r.l., one of Italy’s premier conservation organizations. His professional practice focuses primarily on the conservation and restoration of wall paintings and stone sculptures.

Since 2015 he has taught at the Conservation of Cultural Heritage at Univerisità degli Studi della Tuscia in Viterbo and now directs the mural conservation program.

Over more than three decades of work in Italy, Mark has contributed to the conservation of major masterpieces of Renaissance and Baroque art, including:

Stories of St John and St Stephen

By Filippo Lippi
Cappella Maggiore, Prato Cathedral

Nave Wall Paintings

By Paolo Veronese
Church of San Sebastiano, Venice

Sculpture of Saint Bibiana

By Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Church of Santa Bibiana, Rome

The Fountain of the Four Rivers

By Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Fountain of the Four Rivers, Rome

Valery Tovazzi

She received a master degree with highest honor in Restoration and Conservation of Cultural heritage LMR/02 from La Tuscia University. During her studies she participated in several restoration projects such as the Façade of S. Donato church in Civita di Bagnoregio and S. Lorenzo in Acquapendente.

Once finished with her studies, she moved back to Rome and joined the restoration of the Lante della Rovere court in Rome as head restorer. Currently, she’s attending a research program as winner of a scholarship in collaboration with La Tuscia University and National Center of Research.

Fabiola Vitali

In July 2020 she graduated with honors in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the University of Tuscia, where she discussed his innovative degree thesis concerning the use of recycled cork stoppers for the restoration of wooden artifacts.

She published two scientific articles: the first relating to the investigations carried out during the thesis on the wooden sculpture depicting ‘’Saint Anthony the Abbot’’: Vitali F., Caldi C., Benucci M., Marzaioli F., Seccaroni C., De Ruggieri B., Romagnoli M., The vernacular sculpture of Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Colle del Duomo Museum in Viterbo (Italy). Wood dating and diagnostics. Journal of cultural heritage, volume 48, pp 299-304. The second related to the results obtained from the PICUS project: Giosuè C., Mariani F.,Vitali F., Pogliani P. The "PICUS'' system in the detection of defects on painted boards and wooden boards. 2022 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS) October 10-13, 2022. Another article is currently being published: Recycled cork, a new green methodology for wood restoration artifacts. Application case on the polychrome sculpture of Saint Anthony the Abbot of the Colle del Duomo Museum in Viterbo, in the international book project entitled "Innovative Solutions and New Paradigms on Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Approaches and Practices'' which will be published by Istanbul University Press.

Specialized in the conservation and restoration of wooden artifacts, paintings on canvas and polymaterials works, she works with her individual company throughout the national and international territory, collaborating with other specialized companies. Among the most important works she participated at the restoration of wooden gilding altar conserved in the deposit of the Opera del Duomo Museum in Orvieto and at the restoration of the papier mache sculpture depicting ‘’Madonna of Mercedes’’ by Giuseppe Manzo, also she collaborated at the restoration of a painting on canvas ‘’Immacolata Concezione’’ attributed to Bernardino Brozzi.

Her work experience is also full of collaborations in the restoration of wall paintings and stone surfaces. Among the most important works, she collaborated at the restoration of the crypt of ‘’San Michele’’ in Arpino and at the restoration of a wall painting palimpsest in Venafro. She currently collaborates in the creation, from scratch, of 33 gilding panels for the ceiling of the ''Salle XII'' in the United Nations Building, the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva in Switzerland, where she has already worked, collaborating in the restoration of some polychrome marbles.

Sofia Oliveti

She is a conservator of cultural heritage graduated in 2021 at the Istituto Centrale di Restauro (ICR), in Rome. She is specialized in “Stone and stone by-products; decorated architectural surface”. During her thesis she focused her attention on the handling of high weight marble statues and casting techniques.

Since the early years of her studies Sofia worked on different kinds of artifacts, like wall paintings, sculptures and mosaics. By attending architectural workisite around Italy, she developed skills of coordination and collaboration between people and schedule organization.

In 2019 she attended an internship in Paris focused on the conservation of objects painted on wooden and textiles supports. Recently she contributed in a webinar about “3D Print and Reverse Engineering. Tools and methodologies on conservation.”

Since 2021 works as a professional restorer for private conservation and restoration companies, overall in Rome. She’s been involved in several project such as the restauration of the external facade of the Doria Panphijli palace, and the marble statues which decorate the Michelangelo’s cloister in the Diocletian baths. she’s currently working at the plan of maintenance of the archaeological park of Herculaneum (Naples).

She has previous experience as Teaching Assistant in the course of “Touching the Stones, Restoration and Analysis of Historic Buildings” and “Traditional Painting Materials, Methods and Restoration Issues” in the summer school program of the International Institute of Restoration and Preservation Studies (SGPS).