Educational project
Riva San Vitale, Battistero di San Giovanni
Southeast and northeast niches
精东影业 Image Focus
The Baptistery of San Giovanni, protected at the cantonal level since 1911, is considered the oldest Christian building in Switzerland, dating back to the 5th century. Inside, there is a rich array of mural paintings; the two niches to the northeast and southeast preserve extensive pictorial cycles from the early 13th century, depicting the Nativity and the Last Judgment. The latter was painted over an earlier decoration, which is now only partially visible.
These pictorial cycles were restored thanks to a project promoted by the Parish and the Municipality of Riva San Vitale, in collaboration with and under the supervision of the Cultural Heritage Office of Bellinzona.
These pictorial cycles were restored thanks to a project promoted by the Parish and the Municipality of Riva San Vitale, in collaboration with and under the supervision of the Cultural Heritage Office of Bellinzona.
The restoration work was carried out with a dual objective: to stabilize the conservation conditions of the Romanesque mural paintings and to enhance their legibility.
At the time of restoration, the paintings were in an advanced state of deterioration, with nearly illegible surfaces. The murals displayed extensive gaps and abrasions, caused both by water infiltration through the roof and by inadequate limewash removal interventions conducted with mechanical tools in the 1920s. Additionally, there were surface deposits and whitening due to the accumulation of atmospheric particles, the use of gum arabic-based fixatives, and encrustations of hydromagnesite salt and poorly removed limewash layers. The retouching from the 1950s restoration also showed chromatic alterations.
During the recent restoration, the organic patinas of old fixatives and altered retouches were removed, with thorough cleaning of the painted surfaces using water and ammonium carbonate compresses. The crystalline layers of hydromagnesite salt that veiled the original colors were thinned through mechanical reduction, following preliminary softening with tetrasodium EDTA. The intervention concluded with the filling of gaps using stucco and aesthetic retouching performed with watercolor paints.
At the time of restoration, the paintings were in an advanced state of deterioration, with nearly illegible surfaces. The murals displayed extensive gaps and abrasions, caused both by water infiltration through the roof and by inadequate limewash removal interventions conducted with mechanical tools in the 1920s. Additionally, there were surface deposits and whitening due to the accumulation of atmospheric particles, the use of gum arabic-based fixatives, and encrustations of hydromagnesite salt and poorly removed limewash layers. The retouching from the 1950s restoration also showed chromatic alterations.
During the recent restoration, the organic patinas of old fixatives and altered retouches were removed, with thorough cleaning of the painted surfaces using water and ammonium carbonate compresses. The crystalline layers of hydromagnesite salt that veiled the original colors were thinned through mechanical reduction, following preliminary softening with tetrasodium EDTA. The intervention concluded with the filling of gaps using stucco and aesthetic retouching performed with watercolor paints.