Multidisciplinary Investigation of the Imperial Gates of the 17th Century Wooden Church in Sălișca, Cluj County, Romania

One of the most beautiful elements of cultural heritage in Romanian villages is the Transylvanian wooden churches. Unfortunately, these heritage elements have experienced considerable deterioration. This paper presents the results of a project whose main goal was the scientific investigation of the Imperial Gates belonging to the wooden church in Sălișca, Cluj County, Romania. To digitally preserve and document the Imperial Gates, a scientific investigation into the wooden support and the painting materials (ground, pigments) were performed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. FTIR spectroscopy provided information about the wooden support, whereas XRF and FTIR methods were used to structurally characterize the painting materials. These structural data were correlated with the artistic, theological, and historical analysis of the religious heritage monument. Starting from the information acquired about the wooden support and the painting materials, the Imperial Gates were three-dimensional (3D) scanned using state-of-the-art laser scanners. The digitization of the Imperial Gates and the interior of the church was performed to maintain the current preservation status and disseminate this information to the public using online instruments

FTIR ANALYSIS OF PAINTING MATERIALS FROM THE CHURCH SAINT PARASCHIVA, OF POIENILE IZEI, MARAMUREŞ, ROMANIA

This paper presents the research and the t results of FTIR analyses on samples of immobile paintings on the wooden walls, taken from the Church Saint Paraschiva from the Village of Poienile Izei, county of Maramureş,Romania, a UNESCO World Heritage List monument. These analyses were meant to certify the type and origin of the materials used in the grounding and paint layers of the late 18th c. pictures inside this wooden church. The results obtained, revealed us that other materials had been used than expected. Results also can help in the future conservation-restoration intervention, especially in cleaning and retouching