Optical NDT supporting the restoration of a marble sculpture on the facade of the Gesù Nuovo church in Naples

Massimo Rippa, Vito Pagliarulo, Chiara Saltarelli, Maria Rosaria Vigorito, Gianluca Coda, Pasquale Mormile, Andrea Carpentieri, Melania Paturzo
Abstract:
The study focuses on an angel marble sculpture, placed on the central portal of the Gesu Nuovo church in Naples. The non-destructive and non-invasive optical techniques used were Active Thermography (AT) and 3D scanning. The measurements were carried out before and after the restoration of the marble sculpture, consisting in the consolidation of some disintegrated areas and in the removal of both black crusts and biodeteriogens, present in various areas of the sculpture.
AT images provide a map of the structural homogeneity of the investigated areas, measuring the thermal response, which result altered where the degradation products are located (crusts and/or biological patinas). 3D scanning, on the other hand, allows obtaining a 3D model of the entire sculpture and measuring any structural variations due to the restoration on a millimeter scale.
Download:
IMEKO-MetroArchaeo-2023-077.pdf
DOI:
10.21014/tc4-ARC-2023.077
Event details
IMEKO TC:
TC4
Event name:
TC4 MetroArchaeo 2023
Title:

IMEKO TC4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Place:
Rome, ITALY
Time:
19 October 2023 - 21 October 2023