“Mortar. History and science in fragments” on show at Castel Grande

• 23 May 2024
• 3 minutes

A leap back 1,000 years to discover how medieval craftsmen were able to build timeless works. These include the Convent of St John in Müstair, Graubünden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, investigated by SUPSI materials scientists.

Photo: Convent of St. John in Müstair, north-east view. Photo by Rufino Emmenegger

"Mortar. History and science in fragments" is the title of the exhibition that Castel Grande in Bellinzona opens on Friday 24 May and hosts until Sunday 3 November 2024 every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In more than 50 years of excavations in Müstair, thousands of mortar fragments have been collected, providing knowledge that goes far beyond the Convent and shedding light on the work and art of medieval masons in Switzerland and Europe.

During the opening ceremony - which will be attended by Mario Branda, Mayor of Bellinzona, Marina Carobbio Guscetti, Councillor of State and Director of the Department of Education, Culture and Sport, and Franco Gervasoni, General Director of SUPSI - two main objectives of the exhibition will be illustrated: to raise awareness of the value of our cultural heritage and to bring the non-specialist public closer to disciplines such as archaeology, geology and materials science.

The exhibition, realised as part of an Agora project of the Swiss National Science Foundation, links the communication of science to the enhancement of cultural heritage, thanks to a harmonious play of narration through interactive materials and multimedia installations. At Castel Grande, it will be possible to follow the journey of a "humble" fragment of mortar, which, starting with river sand later mixed with lime, becomes the body of majestic works of art. Visitors are invited to listen and take part in the research work, which tells of the scientific process that led to the formulation of hypotheses on history, geology, and building techniques.

"The mortar exhibition is the result of an original scientific project conducted from 2017 to 2021, which was developed thanks to an extraordinary interdisciplinary work between the archaeologists of the Pro Kloster St. Johann Foundation in Müstair and the materials scientists of SUPSI" emphasises Marta Caroselli, lecturer-researcher at the Institute of Materials and Constructions and at the Sector of Conservation and Restoration SUPSI-Department of Environment Constructions and Design.

"During the archaeological excavations from the 1960s until today" continues Marta Caroselli "a multitude of finds were collected and catalogued, including several thousand mortar fragments. The appearance of a mortar fragment may make it look like a scrap, but when observed by expert eyes it is capable of telling us so much, which is why it was the privileged object of our study. Mortar is a building material that forms the basis for erecting masonry and is therefore the fundamental material that makes up the majority of the built heritage. Moreover, it is an artificial stone material produced by human intervention and cannot be reused. Studying mortars can give us information not only about the raw materials and, therefore, the environment, but also about their selection, preparation and installation, i.e. the technology in use in societies of the past".

The exhibition - visible from June 2023 to April 2024 in the Convent of Müstair and now hosted in Castel Grande until November 2024 thanks to the support of the City of Bellinzona - is the result of a successful collaboration between the Institute of Materials and Constructions SUPSI, the Sector Conservation and Restoration SUPSI, the Pro Kloster St. Johann Foundation in Müstair and the USI UNESCO Chair. A synergy that emphasises how, in order to effectively communicate science, there is a need to join forces: one needs both an object to communicate (in this case the results of the analysis of the Convent's mortars) and knowledge of the disciplines of communication and the ability to adapt it to the target audience.

"Mortar. History and science in Fragments" is curated by Marta Caroselli with Silvia De Ascaniis (lecturer-researcher and coordinator of the UNESCO Chair at USI) and Patrick Cassitti (scientific director of the Pro Kloster St. Johann Foundation in Müstair). The SUPSI Bachelor of Arts in Interior Architecture was also involved in the installation.

During the exhibition period there will be meetings with researchers who, after a guided tour, will present a different theme each time. There will also be workshops and visits by the Ticino Archaeological Association aimed at middle and high school pupils to bring them closer to science and raise awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritage. Compulsory reservation: [email protected]