Restoration of the Church of the Holy Mother of God -- Peribleptos in Ohrid, Macedonia

Restoration of the Church of the Holy Mother of God -- Peribleptos in Ohrid through the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation 2009-2012 Project

Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation

Mrs. Donatella Zari, Head of Fresco Paintings Conservators

Mrs. Donatella Zari, the head restorer from Italy, explains the first step in cleaning the frescos of the Monastery Complex of the Holy Mother of God "PERIBLEPTOS". She uses a special Japanese paper, sponge, and water to clean the layers of dirt from the frescos. "You can wash the frescos as you would wash a floor, but the water should not touch the colors," Donatella says. "This special paper from Japan absorbs the dirt and does not leave a trace of water on the frescos. However, if there are layers of different kinds of dust or candle spots or other materials on the frescos then, instead of water, we can use chemicals like Ammonium Carbonate to clean the frescos. However, we must always use this kind of paper," explains Donatella.

She also points out that her team's work must always be reversible! They use water color that is nearly transparent. Everything that is done to the frescos is less strong than the original so, if need be, it can be taken off. "I prefer to remove my work rather than the original," Donatella says.

Mr. Goran Patcev, Architect - N.I. Museum and Galleries, Ohrid

Mr. Goran Patcev's work concentrates on the architectural conservation of this complex project. Goran explains the Church blueprints to Embassy Skopje Educational and Cultural Attaché Brian Bauer. Specific areas of the church were more damaged than others, particularly through water damage, and Goran's team is working to dry them out as quickly as possible to proceed with conservation efforts. "On the base of the wall we have noticed that there is a capillary humid. We excavated there and found graves and other walls, possibly of an older church," Goran says.

Goran gave us a tour around the church and explained the work being done to protect the church architecture. He pointed out an archeological excavation performed around the church and the water system and an ancient cistern that was discovered. "In the 19th or early 20th century, the church was covered with dirt as a result of the laws of the Ottoman Empire and you can see the line," Goran explains. "We also discovered graves around the church."

Significant effort is being put into protecting the complex from above as well. The Greek architect Dr. Alkiviadis Prpis advised Goran's team to build a temporary roof above the church to protect the site and work from inclement weather and, most importantly, to achieve the best conditions possible for the preservation of the precious frescos.

Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation

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