16 March. On 15 March ICCROM received a special visit from Director Emeritus and eminent figure in conservation, Paul Philippot.

Mr Philippot first came to Rome in 1959 at the invitation of Harold James Plenderleith, who had recently been appointed Director of the 'Rome Centre', as it was known at the time. A Belgian art historian with a background in law, Philippot became Deputy Director and helped implement the first courses and research activities. In 1964 he played a key role in the drafting of the Venice Charter. In close partnership with the Istituto Centrale di Restauro (ICR, now ISCR), Philippot helped shape conservation theory as we know it by working closely with Cesare Brandi, Laura and Paolo Mora.

Philippot became Director in 1971 and it was during this time that the Centre became known primarily for its pre-eminent training and publications. His book, co-authored by Laura and Paolo Mora entitled Conservation of Mural Paintings (1977) is still considered a classic.

Mr Philippot came to visit with friends and former colleagues including Mr Giuseppe Basile, former staff of the ISCR, and reminisce about his experiences to the later generation of conservators both working at ICCROM and following the ongoing course on Conservation of Built Heritage (CBH10).

updated on: 6 April, 2010