POLYCHROME WOOD SCULPTURE DEPICTING THE MADONNA DEL SOCCORSO OR DELLA MAZZA FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PALERMO: AN INTEGRATED ANALYTICAL APPROACH FOR THE RESTORATION

Abstract

In this study the Madonna del Soccorsoo della Mazza wooden sculpture has been analysed by an interdisciplinary and integrated approach. The polychrome sculpture, dating back to the 18thcentury, comes from the church of the Madonna del Soccorso or della Mazza (1604) situated in Via Maqueda, in Palermo and it was placed on the main recess of the altar. All steps of the conservation project, from the preliminary study to the choice of materials and the restoration procedures have been accompanied and supported by diagnostic and scientific analysis. In order to evaluate the state of conservation of the sculpture and the technique employed to construct the support, computer tomography study was performed. Optical microscopy allowed to identify the wooden species and to verify the presence of microbial colonization or insect infestation. Scanning electron microscopy, combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDS), as well as XRF (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy), were used to characterize paint stratigraphy and pigments. Sampling by sterile swabs and in vitro microbial culture has been performed to obtain the biological colonization.