The Chapel of San Girolamo in the Complex of Santo Stefano in Bologna. Marginalia on a Recent Conservation Project
As the little chapel of San Girolamo inside the monumental complex of Santo Stefano needed maintenance
works, it was possible to carry on a research programme in order to analyse construction, architectural
and conservation techniques. The aim was to create a conservation site in which study and operation
could find mutual enrichment and fulfilment, to set a chronological dating and to understand the cultural
context in which the chapel was built.
It was evident the urgency of an accurate conservation intervention on the internal surfaces of the chapel,
to regain, wherever possible, the original material and chromatic characterisation and to ensure suitable
environmental conditions. The intention was to re-install the altarpiece of San Girolamo, traditionally
attributed to Francesco Francia’s studio (1520), to make possible the access and the enhancement of this
work of art in its authentic context.
