Montefiascone Project

Montefiascone 2000

Montefiascone is a medieval walled city on Lake Bolsena, about 100
kilometers north of Rome. The medieval library of the Seminario
Barbarigo houses about 5,000 volumes, including manuscripts and
early printed books. The Montefiascone Project takes place every
summer during the wine festival, with pageants, street fairs,
exhibitions of art and music concerts.

Participants attend workshops/lectures every morning, leaving the
afternoons and weekends free to explore (we are close to Rome,
Siena, Florence), to swim in the lake, or to pursue private study.
Participants may stay for a minimum of one week. They will be part
of a team helping with the conservation of this important
collection.  There will also be opportunity to spend part of each
day in the library cataloguing early printed books (supervised by
Charlotte Miller, British School Florence) and helping with the
refurbishment of the collection. Nicolas Barker (Libraries Advisor
to the National Trust and editor of The Book Collector) will give
lectures on the history of the collection and advise on
bibliographical issues.

Cost of courses:  UKP295.00 per week (US$470.00) Accommodation is
available in a house in the middle of the medieval town. Shared
bedrooms (up to 4 to a room), 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. Cost of
accommodation UKP7.00 per person per night. (UKP50.00 Sterling/US$80
per week).

Programme:

31 Jul-4 August
Tutor: Cheryl Porter.
Methods and materials of painting in the medieval age.

    This course, of interest to painters, calligraphers, manuscript
    scholars and the book world in general, includes a large
    practical component. Participants will recreate the medieval
    palette using original recipes and historic materials. The
    formal academic component consists of illustrated seminars on
    such topics as the history of inks, media--gum and egg, as well
    as the pigments and organics available to the medieval artist.
    In addition, the course will inform students of analytical
    techniques--both destructive and non-destructive, which has
    direct relevance to the conservation of medieval pigments.

4-11 August
Tutor: Tony Cains.
Pasteboard, pulpboard and 16th century bookbindings.

    The course will cover a history of book structures of the
    period. The development of a number of intriguing techniques as
    a direct response to the pressures of large print runs and the
    shortcuts used to cope with the increased production will be
    revealed and examined. Participants will study many different
    types of bindings from those for the humble scholar to the grand
    Grolier-style gold tooled volumes. There will also be an
    opportunity to examine books in the library of the Seminar
    Barbarigo to help identify different types of these materials
    and techniques.

14-19 August
Tutor: Stewart Welch
Vacuum Packing and the Oxygen-free environment.

    This course, which is directed at paper conservators, binders
    and librarians, will describe and demonstrate how vacuum packing
    can be used in the recovery of flood-damaged materials. The use
    of the machine to provide an oxygen-free environment will be
    demonstrated and discussed, as will the use of oxygen scavengers
    within sealed environments. Participants will address such
    issues as safe storage methods for wet and dry materials,
    advantages and disadvantages of various grades of materials
    available for short- and long-term storage, the removal of
    backings, safe storage for protection from light damage, and
    humidification of paper, etc .

22-26 August
Tutors: Dr Nicholas Hadgraft and Jim Bloxham
Unsupported sewing structures--Byzantine/Islamic.

    Students with experience of bookbinding will be given an
    opportunity to enhance their skills and expand their repertoire.
    Every participant will make at least one model of this type of
    structure. However, the course will be open to the lay person
    and it is hoped that those with Islamic or Byzantine structures
    in their care (such as curators) will be attracted to the
    course. The course will also include seminars devoted to tracing
    the development, construction and survival of these books from
    the earliest times through to the modern period.

Class sizes are limited to no more than 10 participants.

For further details, or to enroll (cheques made payable to
"The Montefiascone Project". Contact

    Cheryl Porter, 7 Venice Lodge
    55 Maida Vale
    London W9 1SD
    England
    +44 20 7266 0505
    Fax: +44 20 7266 0697
    email: chezza.p [at] virgin__net






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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:48
                  Distributed: Friday, March 24, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-48-028
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