Contributed by Samantha Stout
Antonino Cosentino has been a valuable reference for my Ph.D. research, which I am completing within the Center of Interdisciplinary Science in Art, Architecture, and Archaeology (CISA3) at the University of California, San Diego.
My base for field research is in Florence, Italy and it was easy to make the trip to Sicily. I brought along a portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, the Bruker Tracer SD-III; which is a research tool I have been using for the past two years as a graduate student trainee in the NSF IGERT-TEECH program at CISA3.
Since we’ve collaborated on a number of occasions, Antonino invited me to come down to Sicily to conduct XRF analysis, at various sites, each with diverse typologies of materials, and different conditions for analysis. We met up with restorers, architects, archaeologists, (and in some cases, also with members of the clergy), and brought our mobile lab on-site for documentation and analysis. The next stop after archaeological site Morgantina, and the catacombs of Syracuse, was Termini Imerese. Here we met restorer, Angelo Cristaudo (based in nearby Acireale), who was directing the on-going work at the Church Maria Santissima della Misericordia, right in the center of town.
After a short explanation and discussion with the Director of Works and Safety Coordinator, Architect Antonio Callari, we were ready to help Angelo with some analysis on the stucco present in the church, and on the decorations hidden under layers of gesso. This was a great opportunity to test the capabilities of the portable XRF instrument, since we had a good idea about what materials were present, thanks to the knowledge and expertise of Angelo; as well as access to various points exhibiting the surface of each layer.
Sicily was home to a genius in the Stucco sculpture technique, an artist named Giacomo Serpotta (1652 – 1732). He probably never left Sicily, but he was recognized by the famous art historian Rudolf Wittkower, who showed praise, referring to him as “a meteor in the Sicilian sky”. Serpotta autonomously developed his art and with excellent technical skill. His masterpieces are mostly in the area of Palermo, and the church we investigated, even if it has not been directly attributed to him, shows his influence.
According to a press release on the City of Termini Imerese website (5/4/13), the church, which was originally constructed during the end of the fifteenth century, is set to become a part of the Civic Museum, whose entrance is just around the corner. The two spaces are already attached by a conjoining wall and, when the work is completed, the church will serve as a small conference space and will also display large tapestries.
Hi Peter, Sorry, I don’t have that information. As far as the equipment we used for our study, X-ray fluorescence, we cannot tell which method was applied for the marble dust. I’m not aware of other studies which tackled this subject. I would think the Vitruvious method was applied since it was common to mix marble dust with the final layer of plaster for fresco.