POMPEII - The frescoes in Villa dei Misteri (Villa of Mysteries) in Pompeii, Italy, will soon be subjected to extensive conservation interventions that will include the cleaning of all the decorative elements including mosaics and wall paintings. The conservation project, funded by the Italian Government, will include the series of paintings that has made the monument famous worldwide.
The cleaning of the paintings will be carried out using an innovative technique involving the use of lasers. Used for the first time on such large scale, the technique will allow conservators to work on very sensitive surfaces and be able to selectively remove the accumulation of protective layers applied during the years and no longer functioning as originally intended.
It is estimated that the project will cost approximately €900.000 (£775,000) and will be carried out while the villa remains open to the public.
Built in BC 2nd century and located on the road that from Pompeii leads to Herculaneum, the Villa dei Misteri had already been restructured twice: the first time in 60 AD and the second time sometimes around 100 AD. The villa is one of over 100 discovered in the Vesuvian Archaeological Area and it’s particularly important as the paintings represent exceptional examples of Pompeii so called ‘second’ and ‘third style’.
The archaeological site of Pompeii has the UNESCO World Heritage Site status and is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy, with approximately 2.5 million visitors every year. For more information about the project and to see high quality images of the works please visit:
http://www.pompeiisites.org/Sezione.jsp?titolo=Il+restauro+degli+affresc...