ROME – The ancient roof no longer holds. For every shower of rain may lose pieces. The floor of the 50s of the last century no longer holds water infiltration in a thousand streams that penetrate unrelenting in the basement, flooding ruinously its extraordinary archaeological treasures. The humidity is now a virus that winds on all surfaces pictorial putting at risk the seal. It is a state of high alert for the catacombs of San Sebastiano on the Appian Way, one of the most important archaeological complexes of Rome, strained by long raids of bad weather, even out of season, and inability on the part of the economic community brothers to face alone the redevelopment and consolidation.
The collapse
Among Rino, by two years at the helm of this heritage, calmly but seriously, says his concern: “A few days ago the roof has collapsed right on top of the large ambulatory lapidarium. It’s gone down a sarcophagus damaging it – says the friar – Now we can no longer open this exhibition space, which is a shame. They ask us to visit scholars from all over Europe because here we keep one of the richest collections of Roman inscriptions. ” And from the upper level of the basilica (which falls under the double property of the Fund cult buildings of the Ministry of the Interior, and of the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology) Among the thought of Rino drops “world” underground reveals the wonders under siege by the widespread degradation: “The infiltration of water flooded the underground environments and are ruining the frescoes.” The problem rests, specifically, on a portion of the complex catacombale entirely unknown, never inserted in the path of a museum visit for its ‘precarious’ conditions, and therefore little known to the general public. Breathtaking environments that hatch painting masterpieces of the second and third centuries AD studied and deepened only recently by archaeologist Francesca Taccalite, and that Fra Rino would like to make available as much.
RESTORATION
A first emergency room of urgency so is fielding these days the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage of Rome, under the responsibility of the director Rita Paris Appia Antica, in collaboration with the Institute for Conservation and Restoration. The technicians are at work in the vast frescoed rooms that recompose the so-called “Great Villa”, a monumental building structure that runs right under the main altar of St. Sebastian, which is connected to the “small villa” identified as a college of priests who had the funeral person to oversee the nearby graves. “We are taking action with a draft preliminary study that now enables us to develop for the first time a survey of the entire pictorial structure – warns the architect Maria Grazia Filetici – By July we will complete a catalog of all the areas of high risk of failure which must then take action. ” The diagnosis is serious: infiltration of water to be added to disastrous restorations of decades ago. Nanotechnology, already tested, are the keystone of these tests cared for by a team of Cristina Vazio. Among Rino It remains thoughtful, continues to look up: If you save below when you heal even above?