Rome, San Pietro in Montorio Church, Chapel of Piety
Date
Monday April 18th, 2016
DATA SHEET
DATING:
XVII century
LOCATION:
Rome, San Pietro in Montorio church, Chapel of Piety
CUSTOMER:
Superintendence for Environmental and Architectural Heritage of Rome – Dr. L. Gigli
THE PROBLEM
The plaster showed preservation problems related to a series of damages which from coverings have repeatedly allowed the infiltration of rainwater, with substantial consequences on the plaster estate. In particular, the moisture caused the swelling of internal metallic armours causing the lesion and often the fall of some decoration portions. Furthermore plasters were repainted several times with uniform shades of light gray color that dulled the precious original material in marble powder and the fine model.
THE METHOD
The main work was to rid the plaster from the supeimposed layers, to consolidate them by isolating the oxidized pins and then plastically re-integrate the missing parts. The cleaning of the surfaces has brought to light on many portions the presence of a yellow bolus preparation for gilding. In order to offer to the gazer at least a chance to imagine the effect of gilding already lost, it was decided to make some small and partial gold leaf applications in fragmentary form in order to return – even if in a very partial form – some brightness, the same with which the chapel was designed.
