Art Restoration and Conservation International Field School

Welcome to our gallery's page!

Our main objective is to offer our students valuable opportunities to visit restoration worksites in Italy and witness the skill and dedication that are involved in preserving Italy's extraordinary artistic treasures.
We are also excited to include Greece as part of our gallery. Here are some examples of previous tours and courses led by ARCIFS Founder and Professor Nikolas Vakalis. Nikolas is also an adjunct professor at Notre Dame University and guides field trips, both in Italy and Greece, for students of the Master’s program in Historic Preservation.
These trips provide students with enriching experiences and deep insights into the cultural heritage of both Italy and Greece.

  • Field Trips to Italy

    Explore the captivating world of the Vatican Museums with an intriguing behind-the-scenes tour of restoration sites. Highlights include witnessing the restoration of the celebrated Apollo del Belvedere sculpture and visiting the innovative Anima Mundi Ethnological Museum. The head of the lab enlightened us about the meticulous care given to spiritually significant artifacts and the challenges faced in restoring them.
    An inclusive approach involved inviting individuals from the artifacts' countries of origin to perform their necessary rituals when displayed. This tour unveiled the fascinating work behind preserving our global cultural heritage.

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  • Restoration of Temple of Olympian Zeus

    Field trip to Athens, Greece

    The trip to Greece, which Paolo Vitti coordinated for the Master in Historic Preservation students from the University of Notre Dame Rome Global Gateway - with Nikolas Vakalis participation in the organization limited to part of the Athens tour - commenced with two intense and enriching days.

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