Spotlight: CCA Training

A component of MOSAIKON

More information about a training program for Syrian restorers organized by the Centro di Conservazione Archeologica with Getty Foundation funding

A participant in the MOSAIKON training course for Libyan mosaic technicians at the Centro di Conservazione Archeologica removes gauze facing from the Pietra Papa mosaic

Photo: Araldo De Luca © J. Paul Getty Trust

Caring for ancient mosaics that have been lifted from their original archaeological context requires specialized skills. For its role in MOSAIKON, the Getty Foundation focused on training related to lifted mosaics that are now in significant museum collections in Algeria, Jordan, Libya, Syria, and Tunisia. Central to this effort was a partnership with the Centro di Conservazione Archeologica (CCA), an organization located outside of Rome and led by Dr. Roberto Nardi, one of the world's foremost experts in mosaics conservation.

In 2010, the Foundation awarded a grant to CCA to undertake an intensive training program for Syrian mosaics restorers in Damascus. Given the subsequent turmoil in the region, the project was relocated to CCA's headquarters. What began as an obstacle ended up enhancing the program, as CCA staff found many benefits to moving the training to Italy. Participants formed a cohesive community—working together for concentrated periods of time without the distractions of home—and had the opportunity to study at nearby archaeological sites, museums, and conservation laboratories.

Moreover, thanks to an agreement with the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma, CCA had access to the collections of the Museo delle Terme, allowing course participants to apply the techniques they learned in the classroom to the conservation of several second-century Roman mosaics. This successful model was then repeated for mosaic restorers from Tunisia and Jordan, with 16 restorers overall completing training with CCA.

After the program ended, MOSAIKON participants returned home and began using the skills they acquired to improve the care of lifted mosaics in museums. Today these restorers are able to analyze conditions that put mosaics at risk, implement basic conservation treatments, carry out proper documentation, and complete technical reports to the highest standards. For example, three of the Syrian participants based at the central laboratory in Damascus organized a beginning course for restorers using the materials and methods they learned in Italy and carried out treatments on mosaics of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus—even in the midst of a civil war.

In 2013, the Getty Foundation awarded a second grant to allow CCA to continue and expand the first training program. The grant began in spring 2014 with customized training for Libyan restorers, and continued with additional courses over the next three years for restorers from Jordan, Tunisia, and Syria. The program included follow-up mentoring for participants at their home institutions and advanced training for select MOSAIKON participants who could become trainers themselves. CCA conservators also worked with participants to set up basic conservation laboratories in their home countries and improve collections storage.


Learn More

See CCA's website for more information about MOSAIKON training

Watch videos of CCA MOSAIKON training workshops

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