Famous Alexander mosaic from Pompeii to be restored

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 The famous mosaic with the battle scene of Alexander the Great vs Darius from the legendary Pompeii is now being spruced up in a seven-month restoration in Naples.

Pompeii's famous mosaic of the victory of Alexander III of Macedon over King Darius III. of Persia is to undergo a major restoration project at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN).

The restoration of the monumental and quite famous Alexander mosaic begins at the end of this month and is expected to be completed in July. The 'Alexander mosaic' was rediscovered in 1831 in the House of the Faun in Pompeii.

Alexander mosaic

The floor mosaic dates from around 100 BC. And is said to have struck the battle of Issus in southern Anatolia on November 5, 333 BC. Represent the second great battle of Alexander's Persian campaign.

The mosaic measures 5.82 x 3.13 meters and is one of the most famous works of the ancient Roman city, which was buried under volcanic ash after the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.

The upcoming restoration of the mosaic will take place after “careful preparatory work”. The whole action is described by MANN director Paolo Giulierini as an “ambitious and complex operation”.

Giulierini assures and is innovative that the project will use advanced digital technology "to follow the delicate processes step by step on a kind of 'transparent construction site' like it has never been done before."

Alexander mosaic

The restoration project, which received a “significant technological contribution” from the Italian telecommunications company TIM, and will be overseen by the Italian Central Restoration Institute (ICR) in collaboration with the University of Molise UNIMOL and the Center for Archaeometry and Conservation Research (CRACS).

Alexander's mosaic discovered in 1831 and brought to Naples on an ox-drawn cart

When the mosaic was discovered and excavated in 1831, it was determined that the mosaic was in good condition. There has been quite a few debates about the need to move the work of art to the Royal Bourbon Museum in Naples (now MANN).

However, it was only after about 12 years that a commission agreed, and the masterpiece was then removed from the house in Pompeii on November 16, 1844 and transported to Naples on an ox-drawn cart. The mosaic was stored or transported in a specially made wooden box.

But in an accident while driving in Torre del Greco, the (heavy) mosaic fell off the cart. The box containing the ornate masterpiece was not opened until January 1845, and for relief the mosaic showed no sign of any damage.

Alexander mosaic

Originally the mosaic was placed on the floor of the museum in Naples, then found its current position on a wall of the museum in 1916 (see main cover picture above).

The surface of the masterpiece now suffers from swellings and depressions, which the museum believes are probably due to oxidation from metal elements in the wooden framework installed in 1916.

The work of art also shows vertical and horizontal micro-cracks and damage to the mortar that hold the estimated one and a half million tiny colored tiles together.

Giulierini sees the upcoming action as a “great restoration” and proudly says:

“We are writing together an important page in the history of MANN about the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and the preservation of cultural heritage.”

Here is an illustrated reconstruction of the famous Alexander mosaic:


SOURCE: Mann (Italian), translated and summarized by Makedonien.mk - Photo: Pedicini Fotografi

Eine Deutsche Übersetzung findet Ihr HIER: Alexandermosaik aus Pompeji wird restauriert

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