At the archaeological site of Paestum the conservation and restoration of the Temple of Athena, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, is currently underway thanks to contributions from private donors.
Credit: La Repubblica |
The two patrons, established entrepreneurs from Cilento, have donated funds through the platform of the Mibac Art Bonus, allowing the resumption of the restoration of the temple of Athena, after a ten year hiatus.
The planned operations will allow the timely removal of sediments between the travertine slabs to deal with the problem of weed growth, which is harmful to the structure as a whole, while work on the upper sections will focus on the maintenance of the outer coating that protects the structure from rainwater damage as well as the metallic clamps that have been inserted over time and which are no longer removable.
"Thanks to this intervention and the use of the most modern technologies," says Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the archaeological park, "we expect to have an updated and exhaustive picture of the current conditions of the Athenaion and all its components as soon as possible, so as to have at our disposal further scientific data to guarantee the preservation of the temple structure. The generosity of the local financiers has been invaluable. We hope that these forms of cooperation with the private sector will increase; with these donations we can guarantee constant maintenance on the three best preserved temples of Magna Graecia".
"Research projects are also currently underway for the entire Northern Shrine, of which the Doric temple is the most important monument. In collaboration with the University of Colgate (USA), we will perform some core drilling to investigate the history of the archaeological site and the territory up to the most ancient geological eras. The results of this research will also help to outline the picture of climate change in the Sele Plain, which will be the subject of the exhibition "Poseidonìa", scheduled at the Museum of Paestum next September."
The Park continues its scientific collaboration with the University of Salerno: after the excavation campaign last September aimed at reconstructing the sacred landscape in its transformation through time, the Salerno team is currently engaged in the implementation of non-invasive investigations with georadar to investigate the subsoil which will provide new avenues for research in future excavation campaigns.
Source: La Repubblica [April 20, 2019]
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