Rome, archaeological area of the Roman Forum, Arch of Settimo Severo
Date
Monday April 18th, 2016
DATA SHEET
DATING:
III century A.C.
LOCATION:
Rome, Roman Forum
CUSTOMER:
Archaeological Superintendency of Rome – Arch. Giangiacomo Martinez, Dr. Cinzia Conti
PERIOD OF INTERVENTION:
1996/1997 – restoration operations
2011 – emergency response and detection of the conservation status
THE PROBLEM
Our work has focused on the portion corresponding to the right front of the archway towards the hole and the side facing.
The restoration has substantially addressed the conservation problems related to cleaning the black crusts and the consolidation of de-cohesive marble. Looking for a balance between the aesthetic and the conservation requirements and the need to conform to some restoration work that had preceded us.
THE METHOD
A slow and accurate imbibition of consolidating products has made it possible to restore consistency to the marble reliefs that in many points were totally disrupted and mostly held together only by the tenacity of the overlying black crusts.
The oxalate film that encompassed part of the black crust was cautiously preserved since removal would be dangerous for the fragility of the surface of the marble.
In 2011 the entire archway was the subject of an extremely urgent intervention became necessary after the fall of some marble fragments. In addition to the localized operations that were performed with the aid of a mobile arm it is able to perform a precise mapping of the current of all surfaces conservation state.
