Florence and Southern Italy Restoration Workshop (US Credit Avail)

  Italy

• Florence: 
Florence

Term: Summer 
Dates: June session (May 26 - June 20); July session (June 30 - July 25)

Description: This special summer course takes place both in Florence and in Southern Italy. Three weeks will be spent in Florence, in the restoration labs of the LdM school: the class will learn the ancient technique of fresco by using original techniques from the mixing of fresco mortar (intonaco), its application on support, and the use of pigments for painting fresco.

Each participant will make a "sinopia" (preliminary painting for fresco), and complete a small fresco on a terracotta support using the participant's choice of subject matter.

The course will also discuss the detachment of the participant's own fresco from its support. This is a method used in wall painting conservation, and will give the participant an opportunity to learn the techniques of fresco restoration using their own fresco. The course will also briefly survey the ancient techniques used for making oil and tempera paintings. The participants will learn to recognize the century in which the paintings were created. The class will be working with original paintings from the 16th  17th century and they will learn how to use all modern painting restoration techniques to bring the
antique paintings back to their original states.

Scheduled museum visits will help enlighten the techniques they use in class.
One week (usually the second of the course) will take place at Rocca Imperiale, Calabria. Rocca Imperiale is an ancient town located at the base of a medieval castle of Emperor Frederic II, dominating the Gulf of Taranto and 4 km from the sea. The fertile region and the strategic position attracted important Greek and medieval settlements.

The class will work in the main church of the town, focusing on the restoration of authentic mural paintings of the 15th and 16th century and occasionally polychrome wooden sculptures. The participants will learn how to acquire confidence and practical knowledge in elaborating authentic and antique works of art, adding a more realistic approach to restoration and conservation.

As a first step, a complete study of the art work will be carried out in order to understand dates and conservation conditions.

Then the class will concentrate on cleaning the art work and consolidate it with the proper materials.

For the next step, the participants will learn to use different products for the restoration of the surface layers. As the last step the participants will also work on the pictorial layer and, if necessary, will do some in-painting with appropriate colors.

Highlights: * By the end of the course the participants will know how to make a fresco and the difficulties involved in the restoration process through practical application.
* There are no formal academic requirements but the course is recommended for participants with artistic interests and some artistic and art historical background, as well as a sensitivity to color.
* Visits to interesting and pertinent locations are planned both in Florence and in Rocca Imperiale.
* US credit available

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: inquire for more info.

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Italy Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 10

Application Process Involves:

• Written Application

Lorenzo de' Medici's Mission Statement: Lorenzo de' Medici is committed to helping students realize their own potential, providing a quality education that will enable them to interact successfully with the community worldwide. The School aims to excite and enable students to experience a first class educational and social environment which enlarges their minds, stimulates their talent, and emphasizes the importance of values and the pursuit of knowledge. We also seek to develop real, multi-disciplinary projects in our classes that involve as many of our departments as possible. In this way, we prepare our students to face the actual challenges of their respective fields. Students obtain truly relevant work-related experience by collaborating with colleagues both inside and outside of their specific areas of interest. Then, the results of this collaboration are presented externally for public appreciation and expert evaluation.

Year Founded: 1973