Corrosion Evaluation of Ghiberti's "Porta del Paradiso" in three display environments

The 'Porta del Paradiso' by Lorenzo Ghiberti, also known as the 'Gates of Paradise', will soon be unveiled to the public after undergoing lengthy conservation. This project is at the stage where it is necessary to define environmental criteria for the long-term display of the doors. In this paper, three possible methodologies for display of the doors are considered: a showcase purged with nitrogen; a showcase with low, controlled relative humidity; an open showcase with a controlled microclimate. Galvanic sensors were used inside the cases to continuously monitor the macrocouple current of the doors and establish which case provided the most stable environment for display. Results to date indicate that the showcase with low, controlled humidity may offer the best solution for long-term display of the doors.