Open restoration: the church of Santa Marta at the Collegio Romano becomes an open restoration workshop

The church of Santa Marta al Collegio Romano in central Rome becomes an"Open Restoration" laboratory.

Management of the deconsecrated church, which for a few years was used as a conference hall, has passed to theIstituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro: visitors will be able to book their visit to the new restoration laboratory from the Institute’s website.

Visits by the public will be free of charge and will take place with reservations Tuesday through Friday (except midweek holidays) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. starting October 25, 2017. The duration of the visit will be 1 hour for groups of up to 25 people.

Now being restored are late 16th-century wall paintings that came from the former Nuns’ Choir, seven thousand fragments of frescoes from the Villa delle Terme of the painted stuccoes at Tor Vergata, and Domenichino ’s Narcissus from Palazzo Farnese.

Minister of Cultural Heritage Dario Franceschini said, “With the opening of this new laboratory, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about and appreciate one of the most important Italian excellences recognized worldwide. Restorers from the ISCR will interact and inform visitors in real time about the various phases of the restoration of these splendid frescoes. I hope that Restauro Aperto will become a symbolic and attractive place in our country, of which we should be aware and proud. Having such a place available in the center of Rome is a unique opportunity in the world.”

ISCR Director Gisella Capponi added, “Here we will not see the spectacular moments of restoration, but the daily work. Work in which experts will participate for diagnostics and moments of historical insights with archaeologists and art historians. Through these visits we hope that people will gain more awareness about the problem of conservation.”

Image: One of the frescoes in the church of Santa Marta (Ph.Credit MiBACT)

Open restoration: the church of Santa Marta at the Collegio Romano becomes an open restoration workshop

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