Clelia Giacobini
Encyclopedia
Clelia Giacobini was an Italian microbiologist, and also a pioneer of microbiology
applied to conservation-restoration.
and graduated in Pharmacy
and Biology
at Sapienza University; subsequently she also obtained a PhD in Herbal medicine and a certificate of Soil microbiology at the Institut Pasteur in Paris
(1969).
In the fifties, Cesare Brandi
, Director and founder of Central Institute of Restoration - ICR Rome (now Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro
-ISCR"), thought to set up a laboratory of Microbiology in the Institute. Clelia Giacobini participated in its creation (1957).
In 1959, Giacobini remained as the only component of the laboratory staff. At the same time, she was given the teaching of biology in the School of ICR, which she held until retirement (1995), for 36 years. In 1964 the laboratory was required by law and Clelia Giacobini officially took over its direction.
Before the establishment of the microbiology laboratory at the ICR Rome, there was no literature on the biological alterations of art works. For that reason, Clelia Giacobini could be considered a "pioneer" of microbiology applied to conservation science. In 1961 there were the first lab results, listing microbial types that were considered responsible for biological alterations after extensive research on the archaeological and architectural monuments in Rome (Domus Tiberiana, Domus Flavia, Domus Aurea
, San Clemente, monumental fountains, etc..).
In 1965, as a result of more investigations, it was defined a first methodology: 1) inspection in situ and collection of samples; 2) microscopic examination of samples in the laboratory; 3) cultural isolation of drawings; 4) identification of the organisms. In 1967 she made public the results of further studies involving the definition of the five most typical phenomena of microbial spoilage on the frescoes. In 1970 the laboratory began to develop new and more refined technical and analytical methods, represented mainly by the application of scanning electron microscope, which already allowed the immediate diagnosis of the alteration and the chance to study all microorganisms in their natural environment. Later in the seventies, the workshop arranged to review the phenomenology of alterations in the appearance of biodeterioration, deepening our understanding of nutritional and environmental factors that favor the attack of biological agents.
In the eighties, they were identified genus and species of these agents, thanks to the collaboration of British Mark Seaward, and technical and scientific staff of the laboratory. In this phase of studies there were examined Fossanova Abbey
, the excavations of Ostia Antica
, the Etruscan tombs of Tarquinia
, the Villas of Veneto, the frescoes of Villa Farnese
in Caprarola
(1988), etc.. The studies enabled the restorers to effectively intervene at Ostia Antica, on the paintings of Assisi Cathedral, on the frescoes of Correggio in Parma, the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua
and Leonardo
's Last Supper.
Clelia Giacobini was subject of numerous requests of advices and for teaching assignments by several Italian and European superintendence, in India
, Venezuela
and Japan
. She chaired the International Conferences on biological deterioration of Cultural Heritage, held in Lucknow
(1989) and Tokyo
(1992).
Between 1992 and 1995 she was part of the technical-scientific committee for the start of the Italy Risk Map project of cultural heritage.
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
applied to conservation-restoration.
Biography
Clelia Giacobini was born in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and graduated in Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
and Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
at Sapienza University; subsequently she also obtained a PhD in Herbal medicine and a certificate of Soil microbiology at the Institut Pasteur in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1969).
In the fifties, Cesare Brandi
Cesare Brandi
Cesare Brandi was an art critic and historian, specialist in conservation-restoration theory....
, Director and founder of Central Institute of Restoration - ICR Rome (now Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro
Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro
The Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro - ISCR is a body of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities in Rome...
-ISCR"), thought to set up a laboratory of Microbiology in the Institute. Clelia Giacobini participated in its creation (1957).
In 1959, Giacobini remained as the only component of the laboratory staff. At the same time, she was given the teaching of biology in the School of ICR, which she held until retirement (1995), for 36 years. In 1964 the laboratory was required by law and Clelia Giacobini officially took over its direction.
Before the establishment of the microbiology laboratory at the ICR Rome, there was no literature on the biological alterations of art works. For that reason, Clelia Giacobini could be considered a "pioneer" of microbiology applied to conservation science. In 1961 there were the first lab results, listing microbial types that were considered responsible for biological alterations after extensive research on the archaeological and architectural monuments in Rome (Domus Tiberiana, Domus Flavia, Domus Aurea
Domus Aurea
The Domus Aurea was a large landscaped portico villa, designed to take advantage of artificially created landscapes built in the heart of Ancient Rome by the Emperor Nero after the Great Fire of Rome had cleared away the aristocratic dwellings on the slopes of the Palatine...
, San Clemente, monumental fountains, etc..).
In 1965, as a result of more investigations, it was defined a first methodology: 1) inspection in situ and collection of samples; 2) microscopic examination of samples in the laboratory; 3) cultural isolation of drawings; 4) identification of the organisms. In 1967 she made public the results of further studies involving the definition of the five most typical phenomena of microbial spoilage on the frescoes. In 1970 the laboratory began to develop new and more refined technical and analytical methods, represented mainly by the application of scanning electron microscope, which already allowed the immediate diagnosis of the alteration and the chance to study all microorganisms in their natural environment. Later in the seventies, the workshop arranged to review the phenomenology of alterations in the appearance of biodeterioration, deepening our understanding of nutritional and environmental factors that favor the attack of biological agents.
In the eighties, they were identified genus and species of these agents, thanks to the collaboration of British Mark Seaward, and technical and scientific staff of the laboratory. In this phase of studies there were examined Fossanova Abbey
Fossanova Abbey
Fossanova Abbey, earlier Fossa Nuova, is a Cistercian monastery in Italy, in the province of Latina, near the railway-station of Priverno, c. 100 kilometers south-east of Rome....
, the excavations of Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica is a large archeological site, close to the modern suburb of Ostia , that was the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome, which is approximately 30 km to the northeast. "Ostia" in Latin means "mouth". At the mouth of the River Tiber, Ostia was Rome's seaport, but, due to...
, the Etruscan tombs of Tarquinia
Tarquinia
Tarquinia, formerly Corneto and in Antiquity Tarquinii, is an ancient city in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Italy.- History :Tarquinii is said to have been already a flourishing city when Demaratus of Corinth brought in Greek workmen...
, the Villas of Veneto, the frescoes of Villa Farnese
Villa Farnese
The Villa Farnese, also known as Villa Caprarola, is a mansion in the town of Caprarola in the province of Viterbo, Northern Lazio, Italy, approximately 50 kilometres north-west of Rome...
in Caprarola
Caprarola
Caprarola is a town and comune in the province of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of central Italy. The village is situated in a range of volcanic hills known as the Cimini Mounts....
(1988), etc.. The studies enabled the restorers to effectively intervene at Ostia Antica, on the paintings of Assisi Cathedral, on the frescoes of Correggio in Parma, the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
and Leonardo
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
's Last Supper.
Clelia Giacobini was subject of numerous requests of advices and for teaching assignments by several Italian and European superintendence, in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She chaired the International Conferences on biological deterioration of Cultural Heritage, held in Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
(1989) and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(1992).
Between 1992 and 1995 she was part of the technical-scientific committee for the start of the Italy Risk Map project of cultural heritage.
Major works
- Antonio Tonolo & Clelia Giacobini, Importanza dell'umidità relativa per lo sviluppo di microrganismi nei dipinti su tela, in: Bollettino Istituto Centrale del Restauro, n.36, pp. 191–196, Roma, 1958
- Antonio Tonolo & Clelia Giacobini, Microbiological changes on frescoes, in: Recent advances in conservation; Contributions to the IIC Rome Conference, Butterworths, London, 1963
- Clelia Giacobini & R. Lacerna, Problemi di microbiologia nel settore degli affreschi, in: Bollettino dell’Istituto Centrale del restauro, pagg. 83-108, Roma, 1965
- Clelia Giacobini, Cours de spécialisation dans la conservation et la restauration des monuments et des sites historiques, 1968–1969
- Clelia Giacobini, Elementi di scienze naturali e di microbiologia, Roma, 1970
- Clelia Giacobini & Lidia Barcellona Vero, Metodi microbiologici di studio delle alterazioni delle pietre costituenti strutture murarie all'aperto, in: La conservazione delle sculture all'aperto (Acts of Convegno internazionale di studi), Bologna, 23-26 ottobre 1969, Centro per la conservazione delle sculture all'aperto, Bologna, 1971
- Clelia Giacobini & Maria Bassi, Nuove tecniche di indagine nello studio della microbiologia delle opere d'arte / Istituto di fisica consiglio nazionale delle ricerche. Comunicazioni al XXVI Congresso nazionale dell'A.T.I., 22-25 settembre 1971, XXVI Congresso nazionale dell'A.T.I., 22-25 settembre 1971, Roma, 1971
- Clelia Giacobini & Maria Luisa Veloccia Rinaldi, Forme biologiche delle alghe esistenti sulle sculture all'aperto, Bologna, 1971
- Clelia Giacobini & Others, Manufatti artistici in "pietra" : proposta per uno schema metodologico di studio della degradazione..., 1976–1981
- Clelia Giacobini & Others, Un’indagine relativa alla carica microbica dei dipinti murali, in: Bollettino d’arte (Serie Speciale 1982). Giotto a Padova. Studi sulla conservazione della Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padova, pag. 221 e succ.ve, Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, Roma, 1982
- Clelia Giacobini & Others, Problemi di biodeterioramento, in: Materiali lapidei: problemi relativi allo studio del degrado e della conservazione/ Ministero per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali, Ufficio Centrale per i Beni Ambientali, Architettonici, Archeologici, Artistici e Storici, Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, Roma, 1987
- Clelia Giacobini, & Mark Seaward, Introduzione allo studio dei licheni presenti in alcune fabbriche leccesi, in: Antonio Cassiano & Vincenzo Cazzato, Santa Croce a Lecce: storia e restauri, Congedo, Galatina, 1997
See also
- Conservation scienceConservation scienceConservation science is the interdisciplinary study of cultural heritage conservation through the use of scientific inquiry and analytical equipment...
- Art conservation trainingArt conservation trainingThis is a listing of training schools for the field of art conservation.There are a variety of training and entry routes into the profession of conservation; for many the first step is a full-time academic course...
- List of dates in the history of art conservation
- Heritage ScienceHeritage ScienceHeritage science is science for access to cultural heritage and for its conservation, interpretation, research and management. The term is relatively novel and has become widely used only after 2006...