Scientific investigation for a possible conservation project of the wooden door of the Bregno’s aedicule

Abstract

The Basilica of Madonna della Quercia (Viterbo, Italy) houses an important heritage constituted of wood and marble artefacts, paintings, statues, books and sacred paraments that can be dated back in a wide period ranging between the beginnings of the sixteenth century to the present time. These artefacts constitute a relevant cultural resource for the parishioners and must be considered especially for their religious and demo ethno anthropological significance. For this reason, these objects must be correctly preserved in order to ensure their transmission to future generations. Specifically, this paper focuses the attention on the door of the Bregno’s aedicula. This door can be considered a polymateric artefact of wood and painted gilded plaster. The door was carefully investigated in situ to gather information on the construction technique and some samples were obtained for laboratory analysis aimed to characterize the constituent materials