3

Protectzizg uzz preservizzg

Andrea Bruno

Architect, born in Turin in 1931. Teaches architec- tural restoration in the Faculty of Architecture of the Turin Polytechnic. Divides his time between rehabilitating historic buildings for contemporary use and designing new ones, in Italy and abroad. Restored the arch of Ctesiphon in Iraq. and was a Unesco consultant for the restoration of the minaret of Jam and the fort of Herat in Afghanistan. Also designed the Italian Embassy in Kabul and the Italian-Iraqi Institute of Archaeology and Restora- tion in Baghdad. Has also mounted exhibitions and reorganized museum collections (Royal Armoury of Turin, Ghaznï Museum) and is in charge of the restoration and architectural programming of the Rivoli Castle as a museum and, in collaboration with other architects, of the restoration of the former San Giovanni Hospital, which is to become the new Regional Museum of Natural Sciences.

1 Model of the protective shell designed for the Column of Marcus Aurelius.

There are some particularly serious cases that fully warrant the growing concern shown in recent years over the general problems of preserving the cultural heritage. These are cases where, failing urgent measures, monuments of excep- tional significance will inevitably be lost.

One such case, which, in the view of the importance of the works of artistic and historical interest involved is attrac- ting international attention, is that of the monuments of classical antiquity in Rome. Some of them are grouped in the imperial fora and others are scattered throughout the city and they are now in serious danger from the decay that causes their marble surfaces to crumble. The damage caused to stone by atmospheric pollution has greatly increased in the past few decades with increasing discharge of waste products, heavier road traffic and the development of domestic central heating systems, whose concentration, especially in major towns, is becoming exceptionally dense.

There is a large body of experience ac- quired in the course of a variety of prac- tical operations, and scientific research and advances in industrial technology have yielded an extensive range of pro- ducts designed to halt or combat physical and chemical attacks on the fabric of buildings. Nevertheless, the problem of protecting and strengthening the monuments in question is a long way from a final solution.

Over and above treatment of the symp- toms of deterioration, there is a need to remove its causes. They are external and emanate from factors which are difficult to control, and which take us into the sphere of ecology and of the organization of urban life.

At a press conference held on 22 December 1978, the Superintendent of Archaeological Property in Rome, Adriano La Regina, reported on the gravity of the damage recorded in the course of a survey of the most important monuments. Innumerable cases had been found where marble had crumbled to powder, portions of it had fallen away, and parts of reliefs had been lost; the deposits and the blackish incrustations produced by atmospheric pollution had chemically attached the stone, triggering off the phenomenon of sulphation, which alters the density of stone and con- verts it into gypsum; other damage had been caused by the presence of large numbers of metal clamps and a weaken- ing of the joints, as well as by variations in temperature and wind erosioil

The Ministry of Cultural Property set up a committee of specialists to deter- mine the most urgent measures to be taken, and at the close of its work the committee issued a report, in April 1980, giving its opinions and suggestions in the matter. The report includes the follow- ing: The Committee considers it absolutely

essential to proceed immediately with all the work required in order to pro- tect the great works of Roman sculp- ture ... from all physical, chemical or microbiological attack liable to worsen the already unsatisfactory conditions in which they are preserved. Such tem- porary remedies will both slow down the process of decay and make it possi- ble to continue with the necessary ana- lyses and studies for the selection, case by case, of the most suitable methods of conservation work, which should be carried out as soon as possible. . . .

4 Andrea Bruno

The Committee further recommends t&- ing all the legislative, technical md area amenity planning measures that may restrict the’sources of pollution.

Today &e most important monuments of ancient Rome are covered with scaf- folding and protective netting. The Roman f ~ m m has talten on an unusual appearance and resembles a large con- struction site waiting for work to start, while the tourists vainly attempt to descry the shapes of the ancient marble stmc- tures and heir carved reliefs through the C~~SS-CSOSS bars that now screen them from view.

The density of building construction in h e centre o f t h city contributes to a high degree of concentration of gases given oE

by heating systems and by motor traffic, and it is by to means easy to combat this situation. Tr&c should be regulated SO

that there is no parking close to monu- ments, anti-smog standards should be updated, and oil heating should be re- placed by systems using less ‘dirty’ fuel; in short, substantid changes should be made in &e organization of urban ser- vices and in the practical aspects of life in

Such an operation, which would cer- tainly be a complex one in view of its in- plications, is not feasible at short notice, and hence advantage must be taken of every possible means of avoiding the worst a m a g e . A suggestion has been put forward by Superintendent La Regina,

the city.

who has proposed that the Via dei Fori Imperiali be dosed to traffic, in the hope of achieving two positive results: such an arrangement would not only remove one of the causes of marble decay but would create the conditions necessary for sys- tematic excavation and recovery of any objects still hidden under ground. The proposal has sparked off discussion and CQ¶tHQVer§y and SO far the one and only measure actually taken to preserve the Roman monuments has been h e erection of the scaffolding with the protective nets. It must of course be added that research 08 their restoration is under way in the specialized institutions.

The first ofthe monuments to be hid- den by scaffolding were Trajan’s CO~UXIM-J

2-3 Decayed and crumbling marble on the Column of Marcus Aurelius.

Protectinn and Dreservina the Column of Marcus Azlrelius 5

and the column of Marcus Aurelius (more commonly known as the ‘Antonine’ col- umn). Both are columns erected to com- memorate the exploits of an emperor, and these are recounted on the carved reliefs all the way up the column shaft.

Some marble fragments had already fallen off the Atonine column towards the end of 1978, and news of the occur- rence had caused public alarm and ap- prehension. The position subsequently worsened as a result of the earthquake that shookRome on 19 and 20 September 1979; a crack in the upper part of the col- umn detected earlier grew wider and then longer.

The column stands in the centre of a public square-- the Piazza Colonna -

and motor traffic is still driving round it today, so that it is exposed to the effects of vibrations and exhaust fumes. A taxi rank occupies the area immediately sur- rounding its base.

The column, which commemorates Marcus Aurelius’s wars against the Mar- comanni, Quadi and Sarmatians on the Danube, was completed by A . D . 193. This is confirmed by a document bearing that date, which grants the warden of the monument permission to use the wood from the scaffolding, as soon as it has been dismantled, to build his own house. In many ways it resembles Trajan’s col- umn, built some eighty years earlier, but differs from it not only in the content of its reliefs but also in its adoption of a style

reflecting a more popular taste in art. The base and capital are composed of nine- teen blocks of marble surmounted by a cylindrical pedestal on which stood the statue of the emperor. Like Trajan’s col- umn, it was a hundred Roman feet, or 29.77 metres, high. It further differs in design from the latter in its lack of entasis and in the size of its reliefs; its spiral has only twenty-one tiers - two fewer than Trajan’s column-which means that its carved figures are larger (Figs. 2, 3).

In 1589, the original base was replaced by order of Pope Sixtus V by the one still extant today, designed by Domenico Fontana and bearing the papal emblems. At the same time, the emperor’s statue was replaced by a statue of St Paul (while

I

6 Andrea Bruno

one of S t Peter was placed on Trajan’s col- umn). The present level of its base, which is that ofthe Piazza, is 3.87 metres higher than &e original.

Among the many possible suggestions for protecting the Roman monuments, the idea which emerged while the S Q ~ -

mittee was still in session was that they might be enclosed in plastic domes with appropriate internal air-conditioning un- til such time as progress in research and in anti-polhtion mesures COUM. provide more permanent protection.

The need for pfotection goes hand in hand with the need for continued in- vestigation and reseach 08 the fabric of the monuments, so as to fina sdblt~ons that will ensure their sumival. The scaf- folding permits close-range examination ofthe carvings and dso monitoring ofthe sequence of changes due to the inevitable process of decay. We cannot say how many S C ~ ~ S O I I S must pass before people will be able to see the cmed reliefs once again. It may be several years 0% several decades. The scaffolding seriously de- tracts from the general atmosphere of Rome itself and it was suggested that the worhen’s footbridges might be opened to the public. People would thus have been able to have a close-up view ofthose portions ofthe monuments that they had been ~ S S ~ S ~ Q I T I ~ ~ to admire from the rhroughfares of the city or its l o ~ ~ m s .

However, the idea was hund to be Uto- pian and impracticable, because of the obvious diEiculties of mnning &e system and the pr~blems ofsecurity, both for the public and for the monuments them- selves.

The case of &e Antonine column has necessitated thorough exploration of many problems in an attempt to find a practical solution. The aim is not merely

vironmental factors, but also to enable people to see admire it, while allowing for constant inspection by experts. At the same time advantage ~hould be taken of the Q&”ity to acquaint a wider public with &e history ofthe column and its significance as a work of a t , and with the story of its present dramatic plight and the conservation work required.

The scheme devised for the safeguar- ding of the column makes due allowance for all these requirements, but it goes fur- ther by introducing features other &an that of the protective structure. The idea is to extend the cultural potential of the monument by adding museum premises with appropriate educational and scien- tific facilities . I

It is planned, in effect, to build a transparent structure s~pposted by four pairs of steel uprights so designed as to ensure maximum visual enjoyment (Fig:. 4 , 5 , 6) and to give priority to the view

to protect the Work fHOWa efiernd en-

from the Piazza and from the Via del Cor- so. The steel uprights are planned to be as thin as is consistent with structural re- quirements and &e protective structure as a whole adheres to specfic technicd principles. The breadth of the panes will enable the entire column to be seen, and when illuminated at night its significance as a unique object will be fbanher enhanc- ed. A primary function of the new trmsparent enclosure will be to enable restoration work on the marble reliefs to continue and to provide a permanent, hl1 equipped workshop SO designed that every point on the C Q ~ U I T I ~ shaft may be eqily reached by both workmen and specialists.

Por this purp~se, the plan provides for a mobile circular platform that can move up and down the CQ~UITUI. This will be fit- ted with the equipment necessary for the restoration work and for making the tests and studies that will be required. It is also planned to hollow out an underground area at the base of the column that will hold several rooms for archives and for storage of the materials to be used. The protective structure will thus become a combined protective shell and ~ o ~ k s ~ o p

continue side by side with strdghtfor- ward protection of &e m ~ n ~ m e n t , in conditions of absolute safety. The feasibility smdy for the project included

in Which the Work Of SQll§okhtiQsl SaEl

Protecting andpresewing the Column of Marcus Aurelius 7

4 , 5 , 6 . Model of the protective shell designed for the Column of Marcus Aurelius.

the general installations that are of fun- damental importance for the smooth operation of the whole construction; it will in fact be necessary to monitor the air-conditioning inside the shell to ensure that the air entering it is cleansed of the harmful gases present in the atmosphere, and also to monitor temperature and moisture content, which must be main- tained at levels compatible with op- timum conservation requirements.

The study also provided for the equip- ment necessary for the cleaning, inside and outside, of the anti-reflecting panes of glass forming the walls of the new structure.

The guiding principle behind the pro- ject has been the desire to spread knowledge of the works of the past by bringing them into a cultural circuit that can be appreciated in the present. h t h e space obtained by excavating around' the base of the column, it is planned to ac- commodate several museum rooms displaying the documentary material on the history of the column and drawing at- tention to its artistic merits. The public will be able to enter the museum directly from the Piazza. Each detail of the figures on the reliefs is, moreover, to be photographed by a television camera, which will follow the spiral, turn by turn, all the way up the shaft, and the long story, unrolled to form a continuous strip, will be legible as though told in writing.

With the reliefs thus recorded it will be possible, with the aid of a system of monitors, to follow the progress of the restoration work or of some of its specific phases. It will also be possible, by means of computerized systems, to monitor the restoration treatment. A digital system of computerization will enable the photo- graphs stored to be retrieved and shown on television screens to visitors.

[ TransZateedfrom Italian]

6