20 April. The 17th International Course on Stone Conservation began on 13 April at the ICCROM headquarters in Rome. The primary goal of the course is to improve the practice of stone conservation internationally by:

• providing participants with a holistic understanding of the decay and deterioration of stone;
• disseminating effective conservation methodologies; and
• ensuring a practical understanding of appropriate repair methods and long-term management strategies.

Twenty participants from 20 different countries are attending the course, and some 25 resource persons will also be collaborating.

These first few days have consisted of both lectures and study visits. First lectures were given by Jukka Jokilehto on the history of the use of stone over the millennia, followed by a talk on Roman architecture, and a session on the history of conservation. There was also a walking tour through Trastevere, the Isola Tiberina, the Portico d’Ottavia, the Campidoglio, and the Forum, during which examples of the development of building techniques and conservation and restoration were shown to the group.

Over the next few weeks, participants will be studying such topics as:

• Conservation principles and theories;
• Material sciences as a tool for identification, analysis, and design of conservation treatments;
• Mechanisms of deterioration;
• Diagnostic techniques for identifying causes and effects of observed conditions;
• Condition assessment methodology;
• Developing a conservation strategy for immediate and long-term actions including prevention, maintenance, repair and treatment;
• Managing stone conservation projects and the value of working within multidisciplinary teams.

Partners:

• ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)
• Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), United States
• UNESCO Venice Office - Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe
  

Member States represented: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Georgia, India, Korea, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, United Kingdom

updated on: 10 June, 2011