Mario Colella, restorer in charge of the Piccolo Chiostro Study and Conservation Centre in Pavia, is working on two Roman marble statues from the Veleia excavations.

After cleaning, Mario removed the mortar and iron pins, the result of a 19th-century supplementary intervention, from the standing draped female statue. The figure is missing its head, arms and feet, parts of the body that have been lost over time.

Here are the phases of the intervention:

1) Characterization of the black crust by Prof. Maurizio Lichelli of the Interdepartmental Centre for Studies and Research on the Conservation of Cultural Heritage (CISRiC) of the University of Pavia.

2) Solubilisation of the black crust and tenacious deposits with a chelating agent

3) Brush removal of softened deposits with chelating agent

4) Cleaning with SFR (Short Free Running) laser system

5) Final cleaning and filling with impalpable marble powder

#restoration #archaeology #Museum of Archaeology #Pavia #Veleia