Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore

Corso Magenta, 15 20123 Milano

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 to 17:30

Restoration work of all decorative apparatus

Rising moisture and the consequent salt efflorescence that pulverize the color is the main cause of degradation of the structure. The result of the chemical-physical analysis carried out, lead us to the knowledge of a series of maintenance works carried out with the use of heterogeneous materials mostly of protein nature such as the albumen, glues of animal origin and fatty substances in order to consolidate the color and enhance color tones. This process has created perhaps the most serious damage due to oxidation and polymerization of these organic substances which have formed black spots and streaks. Overall, on all of these surfaces it was adopted a policy of intervention very similar. The degradation and the consequent problems of proper intervention can be summarized in two basic items:
1) The damage caused by water seepage;
2) The total very heavy blackening of all surfaces caused by altered fixatives, by the smoke of candles and by particulate matter of air pollution. The cleaning operation was particularly difficult because of the delicate and fragile nature of color and varying according to the nature of the pigments and the type of smear and staining. The serious problem of the formation of sulfates was treated with the well-proven methodology using packs soaked in barium hydroxide. The restoration work is proceeding on time.

By Paola Zanolini