[Rome, August 25, 2025]
Prof. passed away on August 20th. Antonio Sgamellotti, an internationally renowned chemist, Professor Emeritus at the University of Perugia and Member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. A pioneer in the use of non-invasive methodologies for the study of Cultural Heritage, Sgamellotti founded the Molab, the mobile laboratory for research on works of art recognized by the European Union.
Within the Accademia dei Lincei he was the promoter of the CERIF – Lincean Interdisciplinary Research Center for Cultural Heritage at Villa Farnesina, whose scientific network and steering committee also includes theNational Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV)In this context, the Institute has developed research activities on chemical and magnetic biomonitoring of air pollution, seismic monitoring of traffic vibrations, multidisciplinary analyses of pigments, and high-resolution investigations of the Loggias of Villa Farnesina.
The project was born from these collaborations CHIOMA (Cultural Heritage Investigations and Observation, a Multidisciplinary Approach), funded by Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and coordinated for the INGV by Fabrizia Buongiorno, Antonio Costanzo, Massimo Musacchio, and Aldo Winkler. Thanks to the prestige of Professor Sgamellotti, the project was able to count on important national and international partnerships, including the University of Siena, the Colosseum Archaeological Park, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museums of Buenos Aires, and numerous research institutes.
With his insights and ability to create interdisciplinary scientific networks, Prof. Sgamellotti left a precious legacy that will continue to inspire the research and dissemination activities of the INGV and the international scientific community.
Photos - Prof. Sgamellotti in Venice, during the lichen exhibition at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection