Roman Church restored
The facade of the Church of Saints Nereus and Achilleus in Caracalla in Rome has been restored: the 17th century decoration is back. How it was ruined, and how it is today
The facade of the Church of Saints Nereus and Achilleus on Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, a unique example of architectural decoration in Roman churches, has been restored to its original appearance, performed using the graffito technique. The restoration was carried out by the Special Superintendency of Rome and funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Very ancient church, retouched in the Jubilees of 1475 and 1600
"Presenting this restoration during the Jubilee year is a great achievement – comments Daniela Porro, Special Superintendent of Rome – because this small church has very ancient origins, but owes its appearance to the Jubilees of 1475 and, in particular for the façade, of 1600. A result made possible by the funds of the Pnrr – Caput Mundi, which allows to give back to citizens and visitors the very particular geometric decorative score of the building overlooking Viale delle Terme di Caracalla". The intervention, carried out under the direction of the restorer Eleonora Leprini, coordinated by Maria Cristina Lapenna and carried out by the Consorzio l’Officina, was particularly problematic due to the serious state of degradation of the exterior wall, from which important parts of the decoration, executed with the graffito technique, had disappeared, and so advanced as to no longer allow a correct reading of the scores. The works were preceded and accompanied by an in-depth search for archive sources, which served as a guide at the beginning and were the subject of continuous checks also on the site.
Leprini: "The entire urban context recovers harmony"
The constant dialogue between history and matter has allowed the ancient architectural division to be re-proposed, including some residual engravings. "The façade has lost the emptiness and confusion that characterized it – explains Eleonora Leprini – and has rediscovered the lightness of a merely suggested layout: by observing the overlapping orders and the surface, the geometric fields are mentally completed and the entire urban context recovers harmony". The cleaning and consolidation were followed by the integrations, «which took place with the use of ancient techniques and reversible materials in compliance with the nature of the monument and the most consolidated practices of Italian restoration".
Cathcon: Now for the rest of the Church
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