Bronzes of San Casciano, Friends of Florence contributes to restoration before exhibition in Rome

In November 2022, the discovery of more than twenty bronze statues from the sacred pool of the Etruscan and Roman sanctuary of Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni was announced. This was an exceptional discovery of great magnitude. However, as with any discovery the research path upstream of the announcement was long. The itinerary that led to the discovery in the statues began in 2018, when the Municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni requested and obtained from the General Directorate of Archaeology Fine Arts and Landscape a concession to excavate at the marvelous thermal baths, in the Montesanto locality. The synergy of collaboration between the Municipality and the Superintendence of Siena was immediately opened to Italian and International Universities, with the coordination of the University for Foreigners of Siena.

Every year since 2019 over fifty students from many countries around the world (Italy, USA, Cyprus, Ireland and Belgium) have been digging under the Tuscan summer sun inside the sacred pool with thermal water at over 40 degrees Celsius. Between 2021 and 2022, the treasure of a votive deposit with hundreds of bronze offerings (statues, small figurines and thousands of coins) emerged from the hot mud. The excavation is directed in the field by Emanuele Mariotti, protection is directed by Ada Salvi, and Jacopo Tabolli, a professor at the University for Foreigners of Siena, is the scientific coordinator of the entire project.

To move such a complex project of excellence, more than sixty international scholars are tackling the details of studying the context and artifacts. But research is known to need dedication and continuity. So from the meeting between Professor Tabolli and Dr. Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda, president of Friends of Florence, a unique research support project was born. As early as 2022, in fact, well before the discovery of the great statues that made the rounds around the world, donors of the Friends of Florence Foundation chose to fund a research grant at the University for Foreigners of Siena “Toreutica e Acque Sacre a San Casciano dei Bagni (SI) - Sacred Bronzes for Sacred Waters at San Casciano dei Bagni (SI)” (€24,000), fully supporting the postdoctoral research of Dr. Mattia Bischeri.

However, the fragility of the unearthed statues, laid from the 3rd century B.C. to the early 5th century A.D., was such that funding for restoration was required. And so it was that between late 2022 and early 2023 the Superintendence of Siena oversaw the drafting of a “restoration project,” in collaboration with the Central Institute for Restoration. In March 2023, an agreement was signed between Friends of Florence and Superintendent Gabriele Nannetti for a €70,000 grant to restore 34 bronze masterpieces from the sacred basin of San Casciano dei Bagni. This is also a crucial contribution in view of theexhibition at the Quirinal Palace of the discoveries of the San Casciano Bronzes, which will open at the end of June 2023.

So the restorers commissioned by Friends of Florence, under the direction of the Soprintendenza and the Istituto Centrale del Restauro and in particular Dr. Wilma Basilissi, are in recent weeks, with the skilful hands of Dr. Laura Rivaroli, bringing to light exceptional details on the bronze bodies that for more than two thousand years have remained inside the hot mud. It is a slow action, alternating between different and continuous cleaning methods, and drawing on diagnostic studies carried out by Salvatore Siano of IFAC-CNR, Marco Giamello of the University of Siena, and Paolo Piccardo of the University of Genoa.

Alongside the restoration funding project, Friends of Florence and the University for Foreigners of Siena confirmed in April 2023 that they would proceed with the renewal of the research support agreement, funding a new research contract dedicated to “Stratigraphy, context and excavation at the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni (SI) - Stratigraphy, context and excavation at the Bagno Grande of San Casciano dei Bagni (SI).” This research project will allow for a thorough investigation of the excavation context and cultural biography of the artifacts found here.

“The dream,” the association declares, “is that Friends of Florence can also raise the funding to donate a Restoration Laboratory for the Research Hub that, together with the new Museum and Archaeological Area, will soon be born in San Casciano dei Bagni. As always, this is an ambitious project, but one that demonstrates how synergy between the public and private sectors for research and protection is a key key to supporting large excavation enterprises like the one in San Casciano dei Bagni.”

Bronzes of San Casciano, Friends of Florence contributes to restoration before exhibition in Rome

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