Cultural heritage: ENEA displays Pharaoh Ramses II‘s head reproduction in Ferrara

ENEA previewed Pharaoh Ramses II's head reproduction at the International Exhibition of Cultural and Environmental Heritage held in Ferrara from 14 to 16 May. The model underwent gamma irradiation at the Calliope facility at the ENEA Casaccia Research Center to eliminate the microbial communities responsible for the formation of a white patina on its surface. The contamination of the ‘skin ^[1]’ of the mummy, created by a laboratory at Sapienza University of Rome, was caused by contact with visitors’ hands during various public exhibitions, including the one at the Museum of the Near East, Egypt and the Mediterranean (VOEM)^[2].

The treatment was carried out in the Calliope irradiation plant of the ENEA Casaccia Research Centre (Rome), where a complete representation of the whole mummy will also be treated in the coming months.

ENEA also presented the portable laser system IRIS^[3] for the study, protection and non-invasive diagnostics of cultural heritage. The system - developed as part of the European project E-RIHS ^[4] - allows remote operation and integrates different laser systems ^[5] in a single tool, allowing on-site analysis without sampling and real time response with a high spatial resolution^[6].It plays a crucial role in investigating the surfaces of art, enabling detailed analysis of materials, providing valuable information for preservation and valorisation of artworks.

The first field test was conducted on the Camponeschi Equestrian Monument ^[7]in the Basilica of San Giuseppe Artigiano in L'Aquila. ENEA researchers carried out a diagnostic campaign on the materials in collaboration with the Gran Sasso Science Institute, as part of the PNRR project “CHANGES” (Cultural Heritage Innovation for Next-Gen Sustainable Society).

ENEA also presented the “SHRINEs” project for the development of innovative technologies for the protection and safety of places of worship. As part of the Hackathon Tech for SHRINEs, ENEA won first place in the challenge dedicated to isolated places of worship, with a proposal applied to the Eremo delle Carceri in Assisi (Perugia), which integrates climate sensors and structural monitoring networks to assess stability and environmental conditions in real time.

At stand C/12 - pavilion 4, ENEA also showcased its most innovative technologies for the study, conservation and enhancement of cultural and landscape heritage, which include monitoring systems (including remote monitoring), tools for securing and restoring cultural heritage, as well as solutions to reduce the vulnerability of the territory to natural events.

ENEA organized several events, including the opening event “ENEA for the conservation, enhancement and sustainability of cultural heritage”, during which ENEA researchers illustrated case studies, technologies and concrete solutions. Participation in the Technological District for Cultural Heritage and Activities of Lazio (DTC Lazio), of which ENEA is a founding member, was also explored (Wednesday 14 May, 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm Pavilion 5 - Sala Ricostruzione Emilia-Romagna).

ENEA researchers then illustrated some of the most recent applications of the technologies developed, like the non-invasive radiation systems used for the conservation of ancient documents in the Archives of the Abbey of Montecassino (Frosinone) and the anti-vibration platform against traffic and earthquakes designed to protect the Sarcophagus of the Spouses, the masterpiece of Etruscan art kept in the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome. The energy requalification of historic buildings was also addressed, with pilot cases selected within the Appian Way Archaeological Park in Rome (Capo di Bove, Santa Maria Nova, Villa dei Quintili and Villa di Sette Bassi). In these monumental complexes, ENEA has estimated the energy performance, calculated future consumption and identified optimal intervention strategies and use of renewable sources, using non-invasive investigations, including thermography and analysis of systems and bills.

The ENEA projects showcased at the Salone included initiatives that combine technological innovation and territorial valorization like “Basilicata Heritage Smart Lab”, which led to the creation of an urban laboratory in Venosa (Potenza).

[1] The “skin” of the mummy was created by Sapienza University of Rome with particular materials like nano cellulose and thanks to the action of bacteria and yeasts.

[2] VOEM is a museum complex of Sapienza University of Rome. The exhibition was curated by the director prof. Lorenzo Nigro.

[3] IRIS - Integrated time resolved Imaging Spectroscopy.

[4] European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science.

[5] Based on the LIF (Laser-induced Fluorescence) technique in which a laser illuminates a material, and this material "responds" by emitting light (fluorescence). By analyzing this emitted light, very precise information can be obtained on the chemical composition or state of the material.

[6] The first field test was conducted on the "Equestrian Monument Camponeschi[1]" at the Basilica of San Giuseppe Artigiano in L'Aquila, where ENEA researchers carried out a diagnostic campaign on the materials, in collaboration with the Gran Sasso Science Institute, as part of the PNRR CHANGES project.

[7] The Camponeschi Equestrian Monument, declared a national monument, is a funerary monument to Pietro Lalle Camponeschi built in 1432. Attributed by many to the sculptor Gualtiero di Alemagna, as the German Walter Monich is known, it consists of a complex monumental sculptural apparatus with typical late Gothic formal elements. The entire monument is 7 meters high and is made of local limestone. As a product of late Gothic eclecticism, it has a particular significance due to the controversies surrounding its attribution and the complexity of its relief surfaces.