The triptych of the Holy Saviour in the Tivoli Cathedral: diagnosis, conservation and religious requirements

Abstract

The object of this work is the Holy Saviour triptych, an important religious panel painting dated back to the 12th century, at present stored in the Tivoli‟s Cathedral (Rome). The triptych has a great historical and artistic value closely linked to its devotional significance. In this study, original and additional materials were examined in order to provide a deeper understanding of the technique used and a greater awareness of how well preserved the object is, as well as an analysis of previous preservation and conservation interventions. Due to the preciousness of the panel and to the great care taken by the religious community in its conservation, the diagnostic analysis for the characterization of the painting materials was carried out by non-invasive methodologies. In particular, the following investigation was performed: video microscope acquisitions, infrared reflectography, false colour infrared photography, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The wooden support was carefully observed in the visible parts of the panels and a micro-sample, detached from the back of the central panel, was collected for the microscopic observation. The obtained results show the use of valuable materials and pigments like gold, vermilion, ultramarine blue. The study of the macroscopic and microscopic anatomical characters of the wood, allowed to identify it as chestnut in the three panels. This supports its dating also in comparison with another medieval panel