NOVE KONZERVATORSKE SPOZNAJE O OSLIKANOJ FRANJEVAČKOJ LJEKARNI U VARAŽDINU
NEW CONSERVATION INSIGHTS ABOUT THE FRESCO-PAINTED PHARMACY IN VARAŽDIN

Summary/Abstract: The Varaždin Franciscan infirmary was built in 1667, adjacent to the western wing of the Franciscan Monastery. It included a pharmacy which was used, not only by the monks, but also by the people of the entire town. The infirmary and the pharmacy were thoroughly restored in the mid-18th century, when the renowned Pauline painter, John the Baptist Ranger, painted the vault of the biggest ground floor room. Unfortunately, due to inadequate space usage and capillary rising damp, the frescoes were quite damaged in the 20th century. For various reasons, all preceding attempts of sanation had been terminated, leaving the issues of damp and salt cristallization unresolved, which led to rapid deterioration of the painted layer. In 2013, Croatian Conservation Institute was included in the issue, because of the severe state of the frescoes. That was when initial conservation and restoration research was conducted. It was found that the microclimatic conditions in the former pharmacy were extremely poor, mainly due to several factors: wet aggregate of concrete floors, a walled-in furnace, which was found damaged in the hallway of the ground floor, and the surface cement plaster and waterproof coat Aquathrill, which had been applied in previous interventions.

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