CULTURAL HERITAGE SCIENCES

This course of lectures will provide basic chemical concepts related to art and architecture materials and artifacts, with refer to traditional art techniques. The main goal will be to provide scientific evaluation tools useful to correctly manage conservation of cultural heritage.

Attending lectures and self study of course contents (slides and lecture notes, reference texts) will allow students to reach the following goals:


1. knowledge and understanding

● to know production techniques of main historical and artistic artifacts
● to know main materials of historical and artistic artifacts: stone and related materials, painting materials, ceramics, paper, glass, metal
● to know basic phisical and chemical features of such materials, also with reference to their transformation and degradation
● to know related technical and scientific vocabulary
● to understand the complexity of various interactions between artifacts and their surrounding environment


2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

● to know how to perform a basic analysis of material composition of an artifact
● to know how to perform a basic analysis of degradation of artifacts in relationship with their constituent materials and the surrounding environment
● to know how to correctly apply technical and scientific vocabulary in all processes, including communication of acquired knowledge


3. Judgment

● to know how to formulate and argue degradation of various materials and corresponding artifacts, developing also a critical approach to such evaluation


4. Communication skills

● to know how to communicate own considerations to other sector professionals with suitable terminology and properties of language
● to know how to interact with other students and with the professor in a critical and educationally responsible manner


5. Ability to learn

● to know how to correctly take notes and share them in a collaborative way
● to know how to critically evaluate acquired knowledge learnt in class and from suggested texts
● to know how to critically refer to suggested texts and their bibliography

Basics of Chemistry and Physics are required

- Description of materials of main historical and artistic artifacts (stone and related materials, painting materials, ceramics, paper, glass, metal), their production techniques and related physics and chemistry
- introduction to traditional cultural heritage techniques and their related chemistry and physics
- Degradation processes of main historical and artistic materials and physico-chemical approaches to their conservation

- L. Campanella, A. Casoli, M. P. Colombini, et al. - Chimica per l'arte (Zanichelli Ed. 2007)
- M. Matteini, R. Mazzeo, A. Moles. Chemistry for restoration. Painting and restoration materials (Nardini Ed.)
- L. Lazzarini, M. L. Tabasso. Il restauro della pietra (CEDAM Ed.)
- G. Perusini. Il restauro dei dipinti e delle sculture lignee (Del Bianco Ed.)

- Selected papers from international and national scientific journals

The written texts (2, one of which after approx. halfway through the course of lectures) will be based on 3 open-ended questions, focused on specific arguments discussed during the lecture, each to be completed within 2 hours.
The student will have to demonstrate to have critically acquired issues related to cultural heritage materials and their degradation, and to clearly express acquired information with appropriate language.
The evaluation will be performed as follows:

-scores between 18 and 22 (out of 30) will be awarded with sufficient knowledge and comprehension skills of course contents, as well as sufficient communication skills;
-scores between 23 and 26 (out of 30) will be awarded with fair knowledge and comprehension skills of course contents, as well as fair communication skills;
-scores between 27 and 30 (out of 30) will be awarded with good or optimum knowledge and comprehension skills of course contents, as well as good communication skills;
-the honours will be awarded only with excellent knowledge and comprehension skills of course contents, as well as critical evaluation and excellent communication skills.

No books, notes or electronic devices are admitted during the text.

Traditional (teacher up front) lessons in combination with slides

Language: Italian

Italian

Any modification to syllabus will be pointed out during the lectures.

written