Cotisso Award 2020 to the angels of acqua alta, completion of the restoration of the Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello volumes

Interview with Paolo Da Col, Conservatorio librarian

At what point are we?

We asked Paolo Da Col, who has followed every aspect of the restoration.
“The large number of non-antique volumes that needed to be restored have been taken in hand by the Castel Maggiore centre,” he explains, “which has completed the drying process and added ph-neutral materials for conservation, as well as new bindings and undertaken various other interventions. For the antique and more precious material, we put out a call for restorers and found a professional who tackled the work on the printed editions, such as the works of Antonio Vivaldi, and who has succeeded in recovering the ancient splendour of the originals. The manuscripts have also returned from the restoration centre in Florence.”

Have you also added protection to the library itself?

“The event taught us many things and now the situation is under control. Everything has been surveyed and the antique materials have been moved to the upper floors. In addition, a sump tank with two water pumps, a dehumidifier and a humidity detector have been installed, which will act as the first line of defence against another eventual flood.”

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