Preserving Historic Churches and Monasteries in the Republic of Macedonia

Some of the most valuable frescoes in the world can be found in the churches and monasteries in the Republic of Macedonia. Painted mostly in the Byzantine (eleventh to fifteenth centuries) and post-Byzantine periods (fifteenth to eighteenth centuries), these frescoes are now under threat, presumably due to the fact that the original roofs covering the churches were replaced by modern ones. The new roofs, made of aggressive materials such as cement mortar and reinforced concrete, have very low air permeability and do not allow sufficient drying of the fresco layers during the humid periods in winter and cause over-drying of the fresco layers during the hot and dry summer periods. This phenomenon is believed to be the main cause for the frescoes’ degradation.

This study examines some recent interventions to Macedonian church buildings and what appears to be consequential damage to the fresco paintings, which in some cases is already irreversible. It also proposes possible approaches which could help to save this important element of world heritage and preserve it for posterity.

Pance Velkov PhD

Pance Velkov graduated in civil engineering in Skopje, Macedonia in 1984 and then began working on the preservation of architectural heritage. He has been teaching the cultural heritage of the Republic of Macedonia at the South-Eastern European University in Tetovo, the Republic of Macedonia since 2004. In 2005/2006, he was a Fulbright scholar at the Department for Historic Preservation at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a permanent member of the committee of experts on heritage education of the Council of Europe, and president of the Makedonida Foundation for Heritage Education, Promotion and Valorization.

More information on the Journal of Architectural Conservation.

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Donhead Publishing 2012