The Pilot Restoration Yard of the Church of San Frediano in Pisa: Results of a Multidisciplinary Study

Abstract

In the frame of the EC Project “RIS+ Tuscany: Transfer of innovative technologies for Cultural Heritage” we carried out a pilot restoration yard to apply and evaluate laser cleaning procedures in the conservation of stones and decorations on the façade of the church of S. Frediano (XI–XII Cent.) in Pisa. A multidisciplinary scientific committee was established, formed by art historians, architects, physicists, geologists, and conservators. Italian firms involved in conservation services and in laser technology participated in the project. The conservation has been recently completed after two years of work, providing a critical evaluation on the effectiveness and safety of optimized laser cleaning operations, the definition of an integrated conservation protocol which included the laser technique, as well as other conventional cleaning techniques, and the evaluation of time productivity and operative costs of laser operations.