The restoration project

Directed by Edith Gabrielli and performed by Susanna Sarmati, the first purpose of restoration is to secure the material preservation of the Altar of the Fatherland, by putting an end to the phenomena of deterioration in progress and preventing future damage with appropriate treatment of the surfaces. The second purpose is to render Zanelli's sculptures fully legible in their details, so making for a full critical understanding of them. The third and final objective is to gain a series of specific insights to enable us to reconstruct the techniques, methods and phases of construction in detail.

The work will start with the disinfestation of the surface from the colonies of microorganisms with essential oils extracted from oregano and thyme. The removal of unstable deposits, which do not alter the chemical composition of the stone, will be done using integrated vacuum clearers, soft brushes and fine brushes. For fine dust and carbonaceous powders, low-pressure washing will be performed with deionised water. The decayed surfaces of the stone will be consolidated with the application of nano-silicates, to restore its compactness, and detached parts will be bonded in place.

The grouting will be carefully inspected, removing parts that are no longer adherent and repointing gaps and losses in the surface, so making it uniform and enabling it to better withstand the agents of deterioration (air, chemical and biological pollutants, as well as infiltrations of water). At the end of the planned cycle of work, polysiloxanes will be applied to protect the excessively porous surfaces exposed to atmospheric agents, moisture from condensation or animal and plant microorganisms. This treatment will modify the surface tension of the substrate so that water will not penetrate the vertical surface but flow off it.