The restoration of the Colosso di Barletta: EDXRF analysis

Abstract

The Colosso di Barletta is an imposing outdoor bronze statue, dating back the V century, located near the Basilica of “Santo Sepolcro” in Barletta (Apulia, Southern Italy). The monument underwent a structural restoration in 1981, during which the Central Institute of Restoration in Rome performed cleaning treatments and consolidation of the patinas. Currently, the Laboratory of Archaeometry of the University of Salento is carrying on a campaign of non-destructive and in situ measurements by using energy dispersion X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) in order to assess the chemical composition of the alloy and to study its patinas.