San Gemini Projects
San Gemini Preservation Studies is a summer field school, now in its 22nd year, that organizes lectures, research, fieldwork, workshops and fieldtrips in the disciplines of historic preservation, restoration and conservation. It is located in Central Italy in the city of San Gemini.
These programs focus on the study of: historic buildings preservation, traditional forms of painting, conservation of archaeological ceramics, the restoration of books and paper in archival material. The various field projects include: documentation and restoration of medieval public buildings in San Gemini, the archaeological excavation in the ancient Roman city of Carsulae, as well as conservation work on the local historic archives.
The program is a collaboration between scholars from various universities and local preservation groups, fostering a multidisciplinary approach to historic preservation.
The fieldwork on Porta Burgi in 2011 involved the cleaning, pointing, and consolidation of the stone masonry on the outer façade of the gate. In 2012, the underside of the arch was cleaned and old repairs were removed. The restoration of the gate was completed in 2013.
The architectural survey involves measuring the volumetric aspects of the building and describing it in its present condition with the traditional graphic tools of architecture: plans, elevations, sections, axonometric views.
The church of Santo Gemine has been rebuilt several times, and is one of the oldest churches in San Gemini. Its history is not very clear prior to the 19th century. This renovation focused on: the façade and exterior perimeter of the church were surveyed, in the gardens adjacent to the church, five test pits have been excavated and the restoration of the façade commenced in 2005 and was finished in 2010.
The church has been rebuilt several times, and is one of the oldest churches in San Gemini. Its history is not very clear prior to the 19th century.
The façade of the church is in relatively good condition, but it’s due for a round of maintenance. This will include: cleaning the stone masonry; partial pointing of the masonry joints; and the removal of any inappropriate material, such as Portland Cement mortar joints that can, over time, cause damage to the church structure.
As one of the principal archaeological sites in Umbria, Carsulae has been explored numerous times since the 18th century. The most important excavation, by Umberto Ciotti, took place between 1951 and 1972. After a hiatus of thirty years, a new campaign began with the excavation of the public bath area.
Part of the work done by students in the paper restoration workshop involves material from the historic archives of the city of San Gemini and from the historic archives of the Diocese of the city of Narni. Besides educating students on the methods of paper restoration, part of the goal of the course is to help restore and preserve historic documents in these two archives.
