Igreja da Misericódia de Viana do Castelo: Conservation and restoration of the mural painting

CRERE Lda, was the responsible for the restoration of mural painting and plaster support of the painted ceiling at the Church of Misericórdia de Viana do Castelo (National Heritage Site since 1910).

The bruttesco painting, reveals enormous erudition and is centered on four episodes of Marian iconography: "Flight into Egypt", "Dormition of the Virgin," "Assumption" and "Coronation of the Virgin". The intervention took place over a period of 6 months.

The program of conservation and restoration was defined by CRERE, and aimed to establish itself as an effective response to the problem of continuous and systematic degradation of the painting. Crere was faced with a huge picture of structural weakness, which was reflected in the loss of adhesion between the different substrates (paint/plaster/woods); performing consolidation procedures were essential to allow the stabilization of paint and ensure their original integrity. The additional work focused on chromatic duplication and reintegration properly supported in existing historical records.

Intervention areas

Artistic Stuccco and plasters / Mural paintings / Gilding