Review article
Implementation of Post-Earthquake Protection Measures for the Sacral Inventory in the Parish Church of St. Francis Xavier in Vugrovec
Stela Cvetnić-Radić
; City of Zagreb, City Institute for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage
Zrinka Mažar
; City of Zagreb, City Institute for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage
Abstract
The Parish Church of St. Francis Xavier in Vugrovec sustained significant damage during the 2020 earthquake that hit the city of Zagreb and its surrounding area. In addition to the damage to the building itself, the sacral inventory of the church was also damaged to a lesser extent. Therefore, the damage to the movable inventory was documented shortly after the earthquake and conservation guidelines for further action were developed. Although the initial plan was to dismantle and evacuate parts of the inventory to the smallest extent possible, the scope and complexity of the construction work, along with hidden damage to the church behind the altar, required the removal and evacuation of nearly the entire inventory. Before dismantling the inventory, it was necessary to secure and prepare space for its temporary storage. Monitoring the values of relative humidity and air temperature revealed that the microclimate conditions in the initial storage space in Markovo Polje were inadequate, and the inventory’s condition deteriorated. As a result, nearly two years after the first evacuation, the entire dismantled inventory had to be urgently relocated to a new space. A section of the storage area on the ground floor of the Pastoral Center of the Parish Church of Pope St. John XXIII in Dubrava was allocated for this purpose.
Following post-earthquake procedures, dismantling and evacuation of a significant portion of the sacral inventory from the Parish Church of St. Francis Xavier in Vugrovec, and considering the future requirement for its return to the restored church, the Croatian Conservation Institute conducted extensive conservation-restoration research on the altars and pulpit. This led to the preparation of a study that represents the required starting point for all future conservation-restoration activities related to the parish church’s inventory.
The paper includes a description of the activities of the competent conservation department and the extent and requirements of managing the sacral inventory after the earthquake, based on the example of the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Vugrovec. It highlights the significance of the sacral inventory as an integral part of immovable cultural heritage, the necessity of professional management of movable heritage, the importance of involving pastors and parishioners, and the need for the continuous presence of qualified conservators and professional help of restorers. It is particularly important for everyone involved in the post-earthquake reconstruction process to collaborate and remain flexible in terms of adaptation to the structural renovation of the building that has been prioritized, and in adjusting the initial condition assessments and guidelines for managing the inventory.
Keywords
City Institute for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage; earthquake; sacral inventory; altars; organ; protection measures; dismantling; evacuation; Croatian Conservation Institute
Hrčak ID:
335314
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2024.
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