THE CUBICLE “DEI FORNAI” IN DOMITILLA CATACOMBS(ROME):

NON-INVASIVEANALYSESFOR THE CHARACTERIZATIONOF THE

MATERIALS

Susanna Bracci , Marco Realini , Barbara Sacchi , Giovanni Bartolozzi , Maria Gigliola Patrizi ,1 1 1 2 3

Barbara Mazzei , Rosa Senserrich Espugñes4 5

1 IstitutoperlaConservazioneelaValorizzazionedeiBeniCulturali,ICVBC-CNR,ViaMadonnadelPiano10,50019

SestoFiorentino(FI),s.bracci@icvbc.cnr.it

2 IstitutoFisicaApplicata“NelloCarrara”,IFAC-CNR,ViaMadonnadelPiano10,50019SestoFiorentino(FI)

3 ImpresaindividualeviaCornelioCelso18,00161Roma,gigliola.patrizi@libero.it

4 PontificiaCommissionediArcheologiaSacra,viaNapoleoneIII1,00185Roma

5 Secciónconservación-restauración,FacultaddeBellasArtes-UniversidaddeBarcelona,PauGargallo4,08028

Barcelona,España,rosa.senserrich@ub.edu

ABSTRACT

The cubicle called “dei fornai” is located in the first level of Domitilla Catacombs, in Rome, dated II-III

century. The cubicle presents a contradiction in its style: subjects and themes suggest the attribution to a

customer belonging to the upper class and having an important position, whilst some utilized expedients

werehurriedandnotwell-finished.

In order to better shine a light on this nonsense, a diagnostic campaign was carried out, by means of

exclusivelynoninvasivemethodsandtechniques.

In a first phase of the work, Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS) measures were employed in

order to investigate barely readable areas, due to carbonate concretion having different thickness and color.

Suchanalysesgavealsousefulsuggestionsforthecleaninginterventionofthedecorativesetup.

In the second phase of the work, subsequent to the laser cleaning, other non invasive techniques were added

toFORS,inordertounivocallyidentifypigmentsandmaterialsusedinmuralpaintings.

Infrared Spectroscopy in total reflection (TR FT-IR), X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), Colorimetric

Measures, Digital Microscopy (DM) and Visible Induced Luminescence (VIL) were therefore utilized

together with FORS in absolutely not invasive protocols, and brought to unambiguously assign the color

palette.

Parolechiave/Key-words: Non-invasivetechniques,pigments,hypogea