The Restoration of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem

Rezensionen / Stimmen

The purpose of this work as stated by Alessandri (Univ. of Ferrara) is "only to accompany the reader along a [conservational] path that began in ... 2009." This humble statement begins a 10-chapter technical tome encompassing detailed restoration analyses that follow "principles of restoration [informed by] various Charters of Restoration, ICOMOS [International Council on Monuments and Sites] and UNESCO documents." Enormous efforts were made to preserve the history and integrity of the Nativity Church structure. The book provides an overview of the restoration site, then focuses respectively on elements such as roof, windows, mosaics, plasters, painting, wall surfaces, wooden features, and the narthex. The authors cover original construction-including archaeology as applicable, restoration changes and why performed, detailed explanations of tests completed whether simple mortar analyses or complex seismic tests, and conclusions reached. The final chapter covers monitoring, from strain to thermal alterations. Illustrated by black-and-white and color photographs, schematics, drawings, and more, this well-written book communicates a thorough understanding of the techniques and tools used, affording a full account of the restoration, supported by a helpful index. Aside from its intrinsic interest, the book is a great companion to Correction of Differential Settlements in Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral and Sagrario Church, by Ovando-Shelley and Santoyo.

Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. Students in two-year technical programs. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals.

L.B. Allsopp (Arizona State University) in CHOICE, March 2021, Vol. 58, No. 7

Among the many contributions of this important book to our knowledge of the Church of the Nativity, it is important to recognize that new archaeological investigations along with the extensive conservation and restoration work made it possible to resolve certain questions about the church raised in past scholarly discussions regarding its history. Prior to the publication of this book, Michele Bacci published his important history of the church using results of the projectin a timely manner in 2017; in the present volume he expands this history, as the
extensive restoration and conservation work has revealed certain new finds and information about the church and its decoration. [...] This book will take its place as a fundamental reference for understanding the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. [...] In sum this book provides the most important and up-to-date analysis, documentation, and discussion of the historical and archaeological investigations about the Church of the Nativity, and the technical analyses, evaluations, and the interventions to restore and conserve the building, work done over the past decade and now mostly complete. What remains to be done can hopefully be funded and carried out in the next few years. But this volume is a monument to the remarkable achievements of Piacenti S.p.A. and the C.D.G. under the aegis of the Palestinian Presidential Committee with the cooperation of the three ecclesiastical authorities.

Jaroslav Folda (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) in Chapter 13: Review Article, Crusades, Volume 20, pp. 267-275, Taylor & Francis