Fungi and Bacteria in Indoor Cultural Heritage Environments: Microbial-related Risks for Artworks and Human Health

Cultural heritage constitutive materials can provide excellent substrates for microbial colonization, highly influenced by thermo-hygrometric parameters. In cultural heritage-related environments, a detrimental microbial load may be present both on manufacts surface and in the aerosol. In this study, bacterial and fungal colonisation has been investigated in three Sicilian confined environments (archive, cave and hypogea), each with peculiar structures and different thermo-hygrometric parameters. Particular attention has been paid to microorganisms able to induce artifacts biodeterioration and to release biological particles in the aerosol (spores, cellular debrides, toxins and allergens) p…

BIO-PULITURA: PROTEASI DA ORGANISMI MARINI.

Arti decorative tra scienza e restauro

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Scientific studies for the restoration of a wood painting of the Galleria Interdisciplinare Regionale della Sicilia—Palazzo Mirto di Palermo

Abstract The Ritratto muliebre, referring to Venus, is a panel painting, oil on wood, attributed to unknown artist and probably dated to the second half of 16th century, today conserved in the Galleria Interdisciplinare Regionale della Sicilia—Palazzo Mirto of Palermo. The aim of this research was to assess the techniques used to decorate the wooden painting and to verify the state of conservation of the artwork's materials but also to identify the previous treatments. This study was the essential condition to plane and perform the correct restoration. For this reason, an integrated analytical approach based on the use of non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques was used, with the aim to …

Issues Related to the Restoration of Mirrors of the Wooden paliotto della chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso all’Albergheria, Sicily (Italy)

ABSTRACTIn this work, the decision-making process involved in the restoration of the eighteenth century paliotto ligneo (wooden altar frontal) della chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso all’Albergheria of Palermo is presented. Earlier research concerning mirror restoration was based on only a few case studies and the proposed techniques were not suitable for the artwork here. As a consequence, it was necessary to re-examine theories and protocols of modern restoration to plan an appropriate intervention of the altar frontal. Since in this artwork the role of mirrors is not to give back images, as usual, but rather to create special light effects and play of lights, this work aims to find an app…

Il restauro del cinquecentesco crocifisso in cartapesta del Museo Diocesano di Palermo.

Il Maestro del Polittico di Trapani. Il restauro della Croce di Santo Spirito di Palermo

Il restauro della croce dipinta della chiesa di Santo Spirito di Palermo è l’occasione per un’originale compendio della pittura siciliana tra fine XIV e primo trentennio del XV secolo con un’importante proposizione del catalogo delle opere attribuite al Maestro del Polittico di Trapani, autore che veicola nella Sicilia occidentale la cultura pittorica pisana importata nell’isola da artisti toscani come Turino Vanni

ANTHROPOMORPHIC WOODEN RELIQUARIES FROM KNOWLEDGE TO RESTORATION

Two wood anthropomorphic reliquaries, belonging to the Lipsanoteca of Epiphany Church in Trapani (Italy) were restored following the consevative restoration procedures based on an interdisciplinary approach. The hystoric-artistic contextualization, the constitutive materials and executive techniques were defined and physical-chemical-biological factors involved in degradation events were evaluated. The Saints relic (human bone or teeth), present in each reliquary were analysed through visual investigation. After restoration, the manufacts showed their peculiarities and their extraordinary cultural value.

Approccio multidisciplinare al resturo della statua di San Nicola di Mira: un caso studio

ANTHROPOMORPHIC WOODEN RELIQUARIES FROM KNOWLEDGE TO RESTORATIOI{

Two wood anthropomorphic reliquaries, belonging to the Lipsanoteca of Epiphany Church in Trapani (Ita1y) were restored following the consewative restoration procedures based on an interdisciplinary approach. The hystoric-artistic contextualization, the constitutive rnaterials and executive techniques were defined and physical-chemical-biological factors involved in degradation events were evaluated. The Saints relic (human bone or teeth), present in each reliquary were analysed through visual investigation. After restoration, the manufacts showed their peculiarities and their extraordinary cultural value.

Un soffitto ligneo intagliato miniato del XV secolo in Sicilia. Studio e Indagini Diagnostiche

tudio tecnico dei materiali costitutivi e delle tecniche esecutive delle cornici lignee in Sicilia

Removal of old protein layers from surfaces of works of art by new enzymes

The aim of the present project is to set up bio-cleaning protocols in order to easily remove altered protein layers (e.g. animal glues) by enzymatic proteins (proteases). Protein molecules were isolated from marine invertebrate organisms, characterized by size exclusion highpressure liquid chromatography (Waters: SEC-HPLC, BioSuite 250 to 10㎛ SEC 7.5 x 300 mm) and their gelatinase activity analyzed by zymography on polyacrilamide gel. The remarkably proteolytic activity and the reaction temperature range of these enzymes, 4° to 37℃, made it possible to hypothesize their use in bioremediation projects. Tests were performed on protein coating found on some polychrome wooden artifacts exposed …