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Considering the extraordinary quantity of parchments held in Italy and many European and Mediterranean nations, the decision has been taken to arrange a Seminar in Turin devoted to illustrating for the benefit of scholars, archivists and librarians the knowledge that has been gathered within the compass of the European research project IDAP (Improved Damage Assessment of Parchment) (2002-2005) and the ongoing Regional research project OPERA (2006-2009). Other ongoing national projects on parchments such as DOMESDAY BOOKS, IDAP150 and PERGAMO are continuing IDAP studies and confirming there is a great need to disseminate assessment techniques, share and compare results, transfer scientific knowledge, carry out further multi-disciplinary studies in Europe. Seminar The objective of the Seminar is to provide an updated picture of the chemical and physical nature of parchment, its ageing and deterioration processes caused by the environment. Conservators-restorers and curators engaged in investigation of damaging of parchments and their restoration will illustrate current conservation and restoration practice. Information will be given on advanced physical-chemical methods set up for the assessment of the molecular, nanoscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic deterioration of parchment’s supramolecular structure as well as on latest techniques divised for their restoration. Results obtained in the project funded by the Ministry for Cultural Property and Heritage and coordinated by the National University Library of Turin, in collaboration with the Central Institute for the Pathology of the Book (ICPL) of Rome, on the restoration of its parchment collections damaged by fire in 1904 will be illustrated. The Seminar will offer space for oral communications and poster presentations by experts, research groups, laboratories and institutions involved in the evaluation of damage in parchments and their restoration. Workshop The Workshop is especially directed to training conservators-restorers, curators, archivists and librarians in managing and monitoring of collections of parchments as well as the assessment of their damage in environmental ageing conditions. Participants will be taught the macroscopic examination (visual assessment) techniques used to assess the "state of health" of parchment. They will also be shown how to use the databases created by the IDAP, PDAP (Parchment Damage Assessment Programme), EWS (Early Warning System) and DUPDA (Digitised User-Friendly Parchment Damage Atlas). A restricted number of participants has been decided for this first edition of the Workshop. The participants will be provided with materials and guidelines for the laboratory experiments. |
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