San Gemini Preservation Studies

Mural Painting Conservation Program

Fieldwork Projects in the town of San Gemini

Field Work

Church of San Giovanni Battista

12th Century facade

18th Century facade

North side of church

Present plan

Interior

Interior

The Church of San Giovanni Battista was first constructed in 1199 AD and has undergone numerous expansions and renovations over the past eight centuries. As a result, its interior preserves mural paintings from several distinct historical periods, reflecting the church’s long and stratified history.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the church interior was entirely whitewashed in an effort to “clean” and visually unify the space. Despite this intervention, physical evidence indicates that the walls were originally fully decorated with mural paintings belonging to different phases of the building’s history.

Current fieldwork in the church focuses on two main objectives: the careful removal of the whitewash to reveal the concealed decorative layers, and the conservation and restoration of both the already visible mural paintings and those that will emerge during the uncovering process.

Field Work

Ex Convent of the Maddalena

Courtyard

North side

Crucifixion

Jesus and St. Anthony of Padua

Crucifixion

The Ex Convent of the Maddalena probably originated in the 14th century, occupying previously abandoned defensive structures. In the 17th century, the complex underwent a major phase of expansion and renovation. In recent years, this large building complex has been repurposed for various public uses, including a public library, nursery schools, a national health clinic, community spaces, and public housing.

Within the building, three mural paintings are in very poor condition and are at serious risk of being lost. One, depicting the Madonna with Saint Anthony of Padua, is located in the public library. The other two are frescoes of crucifixion scenes situated in the areas formerly used by the national health clinic.

The fieldwork will first focus on addressing the problem of rising ground humidity, which contributes to spalling caused by the crystallization of salts beneath the wall surface. This will be followed by the conservation and restoration of the pictorial layers of the mural paintings.