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Volume 15
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10.3390/app15158762
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Preventive Diagnosis of Biological Colonization and Salt-Related Decay on the Frescoes of the “Oratorio dell’Annunziata” (Riofreddo, Latium, Italy) to Improve Conservation Plans

by
Flavia Bartoli
1,
Annalaura Casanova Municchia
1,*,
Marco Tescari
2,
Ilaria Ciccone
3,
Paolo Rosati
4,
Alessandro Lazzara
3 and
Maria Catrambone
1
1
Institute of Heritage Science (ISPC), National Research Center (CNR), SP35d, 9, Montelibretti, 00010 Rome, Italy
2
Biology Laboratory, Supporto ALES S.p.A. c/o Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR), Via di S. Michele, 25, 00153 Rome, Italy
3
Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
4
Archeo&Arte3D, DigiLab, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Volsci 122, 00185 Rome, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(15), 8762; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15158762
Submission received: 8 July 2025 / Revised: 31 July 2025 / Accepted: 6 August 2025 / Published: 7 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biology to Cultural Heritage III)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The frescoed Annunziata Oratory chapel in Riofreddo (Italy), a unique testimony to the pontificate of Martin V, sheds light on the trade routes of Ninfa in the first half of the 15th century. Despite having undergone several restorations in the past (the most recent in the 2010s), the Oratory presents serious conservation issues. At first glance, there are no evident signs of biological colonization; rather, the most obvious damage is attributed to detachments and saline efflorescence. Biological colonization at several points was identified using various diagnostic field and laboratory techniques such as ATPase point analysis, field stereoscopy in visible and UV light, culture-based and molecular approaches, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM analysis, biological colonization at several points was identified. The characterization of salt efflorescence was carried out using ion chromatography analysis. The presence of bacteria, fungi and algae, which are also linked to saline efflorescence, was observed. A clear correlation between the biological colonization and salt efflorescence composition was highlighted by our results, as well as the potential sources of microorganisms and salts via the capillary rise of groundwater. This early diagnostic approach regarding the presence of lithobionts and salt efflorescence demonstrates the complex interplay between environmental factors and microbial colonization, which can lead to biodeterioration processes.
Keywords: ATPase analysis; frescos; alteration phenomenology; salt efflorescence ATPase analysis; frescos; alteration phenomenology; salt efflorescence

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MDPI and ACS Style

Bartoli, F.; Casanova Municchia, A.; Tescari, M.; Ciccone, I.; Rosati, P.; Lazzara, A.; Catrambone, M. Preventive Diagnosis of Biological Colonization and Salt-Related Decay on the Frescoes of the “Oratorio dell’Annunziata” (Riofreddo, Latium, Italy) to Improve Conservation Plans. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 8762. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15158762

AMA Style

Bartoli F, Casanova Municchia A, Tescari M, Ciccone I, Rosati P, Lazzara A, Catrambone M. Preventive Diagnosis of Biological Colonization and Salt-Related Decay on the Frescoes of the “Oratorio dell’Annunziata” (Riofreddo, Latium, Italy) to Improve Conservation Plans. Applied Sciences. 2025; 15(15):8762. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15158762

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bartoli, Flavia, Annalaura Casanova Municchia, Marco Tescari, Ilaria Ciccone, Paolo Rosati, Alessandro Lazzara, and Maria Catrambone. 2025. "Preventive Diagnosis of Biological Colonization and Salt-Related Decay on the Frescoes of the “Oratorio dell’Annunziata” (Riofreddo, Latium, Italy) to Improve Conservation Plans" Applied Sciences 15, no. 15: 8762. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15158762

APA Style

Bartoli, F., Casanova Municchia, A., Tescari, M., Ciccone, I., Rosati, P., Lazzara, A., & Catrambone, M. (2025). Preventive Diagnosis of Biological Colonization and Salt-Related Decay on the Frescoes of the “Oratorio dell’Annunziata” (Riofreddo, Latium, Italy) to Improve Conservation Plans. Applied Sciences, 15(15), 8762. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15158762

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