Mosaic Conservation/Restoration course is being conducted by two different teachers, Livia Alberti and Francesca Mariani, who have worked out and share the training objectives, the teaching methods and the student assessment methods. The exercises in the individual modules, on the other hand, are prepared and conducted individually by one or the other teacher.
The course aims to prepare the student to approach mosaic restoration with:
- ability to diagnose conservation issues,
- ability to choose among possible technical solutions of intervention both from a conservation and aesthetic presentation point of view
- familiarity with documentation techniques,
- aptitude in exploring in depth the issues proposed by the intervention.
In order to achieve this objective, lessons will be held for the general knowledge of the mosaic sector both from the historical-artistic point of view as from the technical point of view of the execution of this type of artifacts. The different intervention techniques will be first explained in the classroom, in order to introduce the specific methods and the theoretical motivations that support the different phases of restoration, and thus prepare the student for the complexity of the intervention. The frontal lessons will be supported by images and summary diagrams organized in Power Point projections, while verifying the degree of understanding of each student through exchanges of questions and answers from both sides and deepening the various topics with classroom discussion.
The practical exercise, the core activity of the course, will be organized so as to address the various issues of restoration, such as cleaning, consolidation, reintegration and aesthetic presentation, especially on mosaics that are still preserved in situ. Knowledge on the execution technique may also be deepened through the individual creation, ex novo, of a small mosaic with the traditional ancient technique. Practicing in the different intervention operations will also be aimed at improving the student's manual dexterity, from which we expect, at the end of the course, a conscious, precise and neat manual work, of a high-quality level.
The theoretical knowledge acquired during lessons, and the experience gained through practice, should lead students to be capable of making methodological and technical choices independently.
The purpose of the exercise will also be to cultivate students' planning and organizational skills as they will be experiencing the management of the worksite in its different aspects.
Their ability to learn and process the acquired notions, as well as their self-confidence and language skills, will be tested during the different modules when the student will be asked to explain and motivate the work. In addition, the assessment will be carried out by means of written tests including at least the complete technical report of a restoration work carried out during the year and an oral test during which the student will illustrate by means of Power Point one of the projects carried out or a particular subject that came up during the year.

First module, 150 hours
The first module will begin with a short introduction period to be held in the laboratory of the University of Tuscia and will be followed by practical exercise to be carried out on the cosmatesque mosaics of the former church of San Domenico in Narni (TR).
In the laboratory, with the visual support of Power Point projection, the main topics related to ancient mosaic and its restoration will be addressed such as: execution technique, construction materials, ancient mosaic typologies and the construction methods of the tessellatum decorative motifs. The main causes of deterioration, and the maintenance and restoration work carried out in the past, will also be the subject of specific lectures.
This body of knowledge, which will be verified in class discussion during lectures and will be repeatedly taken up throughout the academic year with regard to the different cases addressed, will lead students to engage consciously and circumstantially during the practical exercises.
The organization of the worksite, and thus also the compilation of the list of equipment and materials needed to carry out the work, will be carried out together with the students, who will thus begin to practice the design and scheduling aspect of the work.
The teaching workshop will be carried out, for this 2024 first module, on the cosmatesque mosaic floor of the right-side aisle of the Church of San Domenico in Narni. The mosaic, in addition to having probably undergone transport in rather remote times, presents evidence of many integration and maintenance interventions that make it a particularly interesting object for the study of the conservation history of a work of art, as well as an excellent case for studying condition and deterioration causes.
The exercise will begin with the study of marbles, stones and terracotta used to construct the tessellatum and then the recognition and cataloging of the different lithotypes present. Direct observation will also lead to the identification and documentation of the state of conservation of the mosaic, both structurally and in terms of surface condition. We will then proceed with the stabilization of the tessellatum at its most fragile areas, taking into account the particularly busy environment where the work is preserved. During on-site activities, the reasons for the adopted intervention methodology and the possible solutions for protecting this mosaic will be discussed.
Finally, during the module, a visit to one or more churches with cosmatesque mosaics in the area of Upper Latium and Umbria will be scheduled for comparisons and further study of the technique and history of cosmatesque mosaics.

Second module, 150 hours
The second module will be held by Dr. Francesca Mariani on the subject of restoration of ancient mosaic preserved in situ at the archaeological site (see Dr. Mariani teaching records)

Third module, 150 hours.
The exercise of the third module will likely take place on the glass paste tessera wall mosaics of Biagio Biagetti's Tomb in Porto Recanati. These modern mosaics, located for the most part outdoors, may provide an opportunity to address new conservation issues related to the materials originally used and to the exposure conditions. Because of the characteristics of its texture, as a work of the early twentieth century, it may also be the occasion for new observations and studies on tessellatum construction and execution technique in general.
The exercise will involve operations such as cleaning, consolidation of supporting and bedding mortars, re-bedding movable tesserae and lacunae reintegration.
The module will also include some classroom lectures on Byzantine wall mosaic concerning execution technique, deterioration, and intervention methodology.

No text on mosaic restoration is adopted as the course text. For the different topics dealing with the various conservation aspects related to this artifact, whether ancient or modern, pavement or parietal, we refer to the following bibliography.

- "Mosaic" entry, in Encyclopedia of Ancient Art Treccani (D. Levi, 1963)
- "Mosaic" entry, in Medieval Art Encyclopedia Treccani (B. Finster, 1997)
- Marco Vitruvio Pollione, publisher by Carlo Amati (1829), vol. 1, Dell’architettura, Libro II, Italian ed. Books. I-XII. www.archive.org.
- Plinio il Vecchio, Historia Naturalis, trad. Eichholz D.E. (1949-54), Harvard University Press
http://www.masseiana.org/pliny.htm
- Various Authors, DIMOS - course on the maintenance of wall paintings, mosaics and stuccos; ICR, Rome 1978 (Italian)
- Manuela Farneti, Historical Technical Glossary of the Mosaic; Longo Ed. Ravenna 1993 (Italian-English)
- Maltese C., The artistic techniques, Azzate (VA), 1973 (Italian)
- Pappalardo U., Ciardiello R., Pedicini L. (photo), Greek and Roman mosaics, stone carpets in the Hellenistic and Roman ages; Arsenale Editrice 2010 (Italian)
- Vlad Borrelli L., Musivaria. Mosaic and opus sectile in ancient times: history, techniques, conservation, Rome, 2016 (Italian)
- Vv.Aa., Medieval mosaics in Rome through ICR restoration/conservation interventions, 1991-2004, edited by M. Andaloro and C. D’Angelo, Gangemi Editore, Rome, 2017 (Italian)
- Vv.Aa., Mosaics in S. Vitale and other conservation/restoration interventions. In situ conservation of wall mosaics, Proceedings of the National Conference "In situ conservation/restoration of wall mosaics", Ravenna 1-3 October 1990; Longo Ed. Ravenna 1992 (Italian)
- Vv.Aa., Proceedings of the Conferences of the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM); 15 volumes from 1977 to 2022 (Italian-English-French)
https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/teaching/mosaics_conservation.html
- Vv.Aa., Mosaics in Situ: An Overview of Literature on Conservation of Mosaics In Situ. Edited by Thomas Roby and Martha Demas, The Getty Conservation Institute Edition, Los Angeles, 2013 (English)
- Torraca, G., Lessons of science and technology of materials for the restoration of monuments, Specialization School for Monument Restoration, La Sapienza University, Rome, 2002 (Italian)
- Verità M., Technology and deterioration of vitreous mosaic tesserae, Reviews in Conservation, 1 (2000), pp. 65-76 (English)
- Pajares-Ayuela P., Cosmatesque Ornament, Flat polychrome geometric patterns in architecture, translation by Maria Fleming Alvarez, 2002, Thames & Hudson, Londra. ISBN 05000-51075-X
- Severino N., I Cosmati in Umbria, Le opere cosmatesche in Umbria al tempo delle recuperationes di Innocenzo III, 1198-1216, ilmiolibro.it, Cassino, 2015.
https://www.academia.edu/39870606/I_COSMATI_IN_UMBRIA_Le_opere_cosmatesche_in_Umbria_al_tempo_delle_recuperationes_di_Innocenzo_III_1198_1216
- Jackson M., Deocampo D., Marra F., Scheetz B. (2010), Mid-Pleistocene Pozzolanic Volcanic Ash in Ancient
Roman Concretes, in “Geoarchaeology. An International Journal”, Vol. 25, Issue 1
- Alberti L., Bourguignon E., Carbonara E., Roby T., Escobar J.S., (2013). Illustrated Glossary: Technician Training for the Maintenance of In Situ Mosaics. Los Angeles; Tunis: Getty Conservation Institute; Institut National du Patrimoine de Tunisie.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/gci_pubs/glossaire_english
- Malathy R., (2023), Lime based concrete and mortar enhanced with pozzolanic materials –State of art, in Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 390
- Giuliani, Cairoli F. (1990), Edilizia nell’antichità, Roma
- Mariani F., Savoia A.S., Caliano G. (2020), An innovative method for in situ monitoring of the detachments in architectural coverings of ancient structures, J. Cult. Herit., n. 42, pp. 139–146
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2019.07.013
- NORMAL 23/86. Technical Glossary: Definition and description of mortars.
Describes mortars used for decoration; offers definitions of mortars based on characteristics, functions, and properties. The purpose of the standards is to unify the technical terminology in use. Techniques of execution and application are also discussed.

Second module, 150 hours
The second module will be held by Dr. Francesca Mariani on the subject of restoration of ancient mosaic preserved in situ at the archaeological site (see Dr. Mariani teaching records)
The second module will begin with participation as auditors in study days on the theme of "Treatment of lacunae: principles, restoration methodologies, and current issues of Cesare Brandi's theory" which will take place at the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica. The subject of the study is the treatment of lacunae in restoration and how it is addressed on artifacts in archaeological areas, particularly focusing on the treatment of lacunae in mosaics, with individual in-depth interventions dedicated to them. The topics addressed will be discussed with the instructor during the course, using practical examples.
Field trips and educational visits to museums, construction sites, and archaeological parks will be an integral part of the course, particularly to the Centrale Montemartini Museum, where multiple examples of mosaics executed with different techniques are exhibited; to the restauration work-site at the Basilica of Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio in Rome, to appreciate the technique of micromosaics; to the Palatine Archaeological Park and the Appia Antica Archaeological Park, to observe stabilization, reinforcement, and restoration treatments of walls, plaster, and mosaics.
This will be followed by a period of practical exercises carried out on the two-color mosaic floor, in opus tessellatum, of the Central Nymphaeum of the Roman villa in the Park of Acqua Claudia, in Anguillara Sabazia (RM).
The setup of the workspace will be started, taking care to observe safety instructions. Organizational and managerial aspects of a conservation and restoration intervention will be addressed, along with technical aspects.
With the aim of preserving an ensemble, the main themes related to the coexistence, within the park, between nature and ancient structures, which often find themselves in a ruinous state, will be addressed. It will be understood that the mosaic surfaces and surrounding structures, the subject of study and intervention during the second module of the course, are subject to the action of degradation agents not directly controllable. Therefore, theories and operational proposals for mitigating the causes of degradation in natural environments will be presented and discussed.
Sensitivity for the application of the minimal intervention method will be developed effectively.
In conservation practice, stabilization of the mosaic apparatus, preparatory layers, will be carried out, without neglecting the surrounding structures, repositioning and recomposing the edges of the lacunae, based on conservation needs.
The problem of removing previous interventions if they are no longer functional for conservation will be addressed; the reintegration of mosaic fabric and preparatory layers will be carried out, with attention to aesthetic presentation.

No text on mosaic restoration is adopted as the course text. For the different topics dealing with the various conservation aspects related to this artifact, whether ancient or modern, pavement or parietal, we refer to the following bibliography.