Evaluation of the Microclimatic Conditions in the Vasari Room Aimed at its Future Exploitation by the Public

The book describes a series of interdisciplinary studies of the restoration project to analyse the forgotten pictorial cycle in the casa Vasari in Florence. The authors did the microclimatic analyses inside the buildings, describe the scientific results, in particular identifying the physical causes of weathering of the paintings and finally furnishing advices for a better conservation, in particular if opened to the public. Summary of article: A microclimatic analysis of the "Vasari room" was performed to evaluate the actual environmental conditions and to understand the future impact of active systems installed and presence of people when the room will be made accessible to the public. The frescoes of the hall, the only remained in the house, show serious problems of conservation: detachment of paintwork, cracks on the walls, weathering of the surfaces, soiling by particles deposited, etc. The study consisted in automatic monitoring, from August 2002 to October 2003, and in two intensive field surveys, respectively in August and December 2002. The results show that the natural undisturbed microclimatic conditions are quite stable and acceptable for the conservation of the frescoes. The study makes evident the effect of the use of the room during the restoration of the frescoes: the impact of the lamps, of the people, the penetration of the external air and the daily thermo-hygrometric cycles. Hence, the possibility for future exploitation must be evaluated carefully, in particular the choice of the active systems (lighting, heating, conditioning) and the control of the openings (door and windows), to avoid at the same time any risk to the conservation of the precious artworks.