The study day wants to present the results achieved in the research fields and the research itself applied to single conservation intervention, obtained from a vast network of Scientific Institutes in constant collaboration with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (School for Art Conservation) with its internal Scientific Laboratory and Restoration Laboratories in Florence. This activity, which has continued for many decades, has seen the works of the CNR Institutes (National Research Centres), such as INOA (National Institute of Applied Optics) and IFAC (Institute of Applied Physics) form Florence, The University of Studies from Florence, Perugia, Pisa, Siena and Bologna, ENEA (National Agency for Energetic Efficiency) from Rome and many others, and it has obtained significant results in the development of both the techniques, for a better understanding of old techniques and degradation phenomena, and the ones regarding some intervention therefore procuring a fundamental contribution for a better realisation of conservative interventions led by the OPD.
This “network” of Institutes focused on science applied to the cultural heritage conservation has achieved a relevant position also on the European level with the EU approval of projects such as EU- Artech (Access Research and technology for the Conservation of the European Cultural Heritage) and Charisma (Cultural Heritage advanced research Infrastructures, University-CNR-OPD). The main European institutes of the sector, such as the National gallery from London, the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF), the Doerner Institute from Munich, the Prado National Museum, The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (IRPA) from Brussels and the British Museum have participated to these projects and agreed to put the technologies together and create new common research lines.
An interesting proposal is currently under discussion and the idea is to establish in Florence, taking into consideration this already existing relationship system, a true and real European Infrastructure in the setting of one of the EU action lines coordinated for the Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Italian Cultural Heritage.
It will therefore be possible, by way of this day's interventions, to show some of the most significant results obtained through a scientific research applied to cultural heritage, to present an analysis of the European collaborations and projects conducted so far and to present the project lines for this activity's positive development for the future.