March 10, 2009 -- The soaring ceilings of the upper Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy, were covered in cow's milk at the time they were frescoed, a new analysis of the vaulted dome has revealed. The discovery was made after analysis of proteins in 13th-century fresco fragments recovered when an earthquake ravaged the church in 1997. One of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Italy, the medieval shrine of St. Francis (1182-1226) was founded in 1228, two years after his death. The complex comprises two basilicas: a darker, lower church built around the crypt housing St. Francis' tomb, with frescoes by Giotto and Simone Martini, and the bright upper church with a spectacular ensemble of frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue. Related Content:
The masterpieces were thought to be forever lost when the earthquake sent vivid scenes of saints crashing to the floor in tens of thousands of puzzle-like pieces. In an impressive feat of restoration, Giotto's fresco of St. Jerome, broken into 40,000 pieces, was pieced together in 2002. Cimabue's fresco of St. Matthew, reduced into 120,000 bits, was fully restored in 2005. "It has been one of the most difficult pictorial conservation efforts in Italian history," Piero Pucci, professor of biochemistry at the University of Naples, told Discovery News. "As the restorers provided us with some tiny fragments of the collapsed frescoes, we thought to analyze them." Pucci and colleagues identified the proteins in the artworks "without ambiguity," they reported at a recent conference in Rome. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
advertisement
Put Discovery News on Your Site!
|
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
