During the work
The restored building
Restored building detail
The building affected by Vivenda’s restoration work is located at number 11 Via della Rosetta, in the heart of the capital. The street leads in fact to Piazza della Rotonda, so called because of the shape of the Pantheon (where ‘rotonda’ in Italian means ‘round’), the iconic building that closes its southern side.
Already in the Middle Ages, the square became the setting for market stalls and shops, which were even located between the columns of the portico of the Roman building. The area, which housed inns and ‘ignoble taverns’, underwent ante-litteram redevelopment by Pope VII in the first half of the 18th century. A plaque affixed to the building opposite the Pantheon still bears witness to the work.
The actual restoration work was preceded by a cognitive survey of the entire architectural surface, to define the nature and degradation of the building’s various components.
The investigation revealed that the faux travertine marble, the material of all the window frames and stringcourses, was in a high state of deterioration caused by the wear and tear of time and weathering, as well as the soft nature of the material itself. Consolidation was therefore carried out using ethyl silicate, applied with a brush by imbibition.
The plasters were consolidated with hydraulic mortar injections where they were detached. All travertine components were sandblasted and grouted.
The colours chosen for the façades were agreed upon with the superintendence, taking care to respect the original tones and not to deviate from the tones of the square, but above all respecting the main monument that dominates the whole setting: the Pantheon.
Work on the roofs was mainly to restore lagging and insulation with the replacement of rafters damaged by time and rainwater. All replacements on the roofs were made with materials compatible with the original both in composition and colour.
