3D printing for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage

Scuola di Alta Formazione (SAF) of Matera, which operates at the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (ISCR), represents a path of excellence for those who want to work as a restorer.

The Institute has been protagonist in Italy of restoration interventions on masterpieces of our Heritage: the wall paintings of the Etruscan tombs of Tarquinia, Pompeii, the Domus Aurea, Giotto in Assisi and the Scrovegni, by Mantegna in Mantua, the bronze statues of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, of the warriors of Riace, of the Dancing Satyr of Mazara del Vallo, the Tower of Pisa, the great canvases of Caravaggio and those of Guercino, Lorenzo Lotto, Carpaccio, the tables of Antonio Vivarini.

Fascinated by the potential of new technologies in the field of restoration, some teachers of the Institute decided to experiment with 3D scanning and 3D printing, with excellent results.

Using various 3D scanning techniques and large format Raise3D printers, students can faithfully reproduce missing parts of stone and wood artefacts in order to repair damaged works or create museum copies and study objects.

On Thursday 23 May, on the occasion of the Orientation Days organized by the Institute, the Crea 3D team was invited to attend the event to show future students the possibilities offered by this technology.

Below some shots that document the day, ended with students enthusiastic about the training course and the tools they can use if they decide to follow that course of study.