Special Session 7

The session aims at illustrating the techniques used to study the artifacts of cultural significance, highlighting the methodologies to be applied to adequately characterize them from the physical-chemical point of view, to study new strategies and materials for their restoration and conservation, to support their critical interpretation investigating the artifact-environment interaction. At the same time, this session is also aimed at promoting and stimulating discussions among scientists from different backgrounds, involved in Cultural Heritage studies, such as geologists, mineralogists, chemists, physicians and conservation scientists.
In-depth interdisciplinary studies exploring diagnostic methods, alteration and/or deterioration phenomena, prevention and conservation treatments are encouraged, in order to offer invaluable information to archaeology, art history and conservation and to support preservation of Cultural Heritage.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Monitoring and characterization of deterioration features of Cultural Heritage;
• New methods and instruments for the characterization of natural and artificial stone materials, diagnosis and conservation treatments;
• Forthcoming developments in conservation and restoration knowledge: nanotechnology, biotechnology, physical technologies;
• Assessment of efficiency, compatibility, reversibility of new conservation treatments and methods.

Papers presented at the Conference within Special Sessions #7 "Damage Assessment: Diagnosis and Monitoring for the Restoration, Preventiva Conservation and Maintenance of CH" can be published as extended version in in a dedicated Special Issue on Environmental Science and Pollution Research (ESPR).

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Giuseppe Paladini: Masters’s degree in Physics, PhD in Physics at the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences (MIFT) - University of Messina (Italy). His main research activity concerns the use of neutron and synchrotron radiation techniques, XRF, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies applied to archaeometry as well as for studying drug-carrier systems for their application in pharmaceutical field. During his Ph.D. course, he spent 6 months at the Wigner Research Centre for Physics (BNC) in Budapest (Hungary) where he carried out researches focused on the use of the Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) technique for the investigation of nanoporous materials. His scientific activity is testified by publications on international peer-reviewed journals and proceedings of international conferences.

Luciana Randazzo is a post-doc researcher at the Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST, University of Calabria). She graduated in Geological Science in 2004 at the University of Palermo. In April 2009 she awarded a PhD in Petrography and Petrology at the University of Catania. The research activity of Dr Luciana Randazzo has dealt mainly with topics in the field of applied Mineralogy and Petrography to Cultural Heritage. Her research concerns subjects focused on technical knowledge and conservation features of natural and artificial stone materials used in monuments as well as archaeometric characterization of archaeological ceramics (production and provenance). Dr Randazzo's expertise and professional background are reflected in her publications in books, national and international peer-reviewed journals and proceedings of international congresses.

Natalia Rovella is a post-doc researcher at the Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST, University of Calabria). She graduated in Geological Science in 2009 at the University of Calabria. In February 2014 she got Earth Sciences PhD at the University of Calabria, with a thesis about “Multidisciplinary approach applied to the study of interactions between nanoparticles and stone substrates of different nature aimed at the conservation of monuments of historical and artistic interest.” The research activity of Dr Natalia Rovella is developed in the field of Mineralogy and Petrography applied to Environment and Cultural Heritage. Over time she deals with diagnosis, archaeometry and conservation topics about natural and artificial stone materials used in Cultural heritage coming from Italy and foreign countries. Moreover, the researcher is engaged with the formulation of innovative nanomaterials to apply in new protocols for the conservation of Cultural Heritage, financed by National and International Research Projects.