Scientific studies for the restoration of “Madonna con Bambino e San Giovanni”, a venetian school panel painting of the end of sixteenth century of Museo Diocesano of Palermo.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry characterization of the varnish and glue of an ancient 18th century double bass.

A GC–MS investigation is conducted on the double bass “Panormus”, property of Conservatorio di Musica “Vincenzo Bellini” in Palermo. The most important components of the varnish (fatty acids) and of the glue (proteinaceous amino acids), with which the musical instrument was treated in the past, are determined. The analyses are carried out by prior derivatization of fatty acids by acidic methanol and of amino acids by acidic methanol and trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA). Analytes identification is achieved by direct comparison with several reference materials and the use of a digitized library.

Un protocollo scientifico per la desalinizzazione di materiali lapidei: caso studio dei mosaici della Villa del Casale (Sicilia)

Scientific studies for the restauration of two wooden arm reliquaries from the Cathedral of Palermo

Dedicated to Saint Generosi and Saint Rosana, the reliquary arms, recalling the shape of a body part, are today located in the Relics Chapel in Palermo Cathedral. They are probably dated to the second half of the 18th century and are attributed to an unknown artist. The aims of this study were to investigate the decorative techniques, verify the state of conservation of the constitutive materials, measure the microclimate condition in the Relics Chapel, in order to set up a correct preventive conservation strategy. In this regard, an integrated scientific investigation was performed focusing on environmental monitoring (thermo-hygrometric parameters) by HOBO system, characterization of mate…

XRF characterization of pigments in a votive shrine of popular interest in Cefalù (Italy),

Micro-analytical identification of the components of varnishes from South Italian historical musical instruments by PLM, ESEM-EDX, microFTIR, GC-MS, and Py-GC-MS

Abstract A multi-analytical investigation was carried out to study varnish micro-samples from historical stringed musical instruments from the collection of the “Vincenzo Bellini” Conservatory in Palermo (Italy). This paper reports on the results of the application of five micro-destructive techniques: optical microscopy analysis of cross-sections, micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, pyrolysis gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry with thermochemolysis, and environmental scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis. The study provides microchemical information about the composition of the varnishes of the ins…