CCA, Centro di Conservazione Archeologica is a private firm operating on public commission in the field of conservation of monuments, works of art and archaeological sites. It was founded in 1982 by graduates of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (now Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro, ISCR), as a highly specialized professional venture.
In 35 years of activity, CCA has carried out over 50 interventions on monuments of significant historical value, held professional training courses in several different countries, and published more than 80 technical articles in 8 different languages. It works regularly with international institutions for the conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage: ICCROM, ISCR, UNESCO, UNDP, the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), the Getty Foundation, and the Packard Humanities Institute (PHI).
In its work, CCA applies the methodological principles of preventive conservation and conservation in situ. From the beginning of its activity, it has developed and encouraged the use of traditional techniques and materials in conservation. In particular, since 1987 CCA has promoted the use of lime mortar as the main material for conservation in situ of mosaics, plasters, wall paintings and wall structures.
CCA's conservation projects have always been open to the public and the media, and are aimed at sharing information. In 2004, at Bilbao, it received the Keck Award of the London-based International Institute for Conservation (IIC) for the best public information project, "Open for Restoration -The Conservation of the Centaurs of the Capitoline Museum of Rome."
Among projects carried out in Italy, it is possible to mention in Rome the conservation of the Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman Forum, of the Temple of Vespasian, of the Crypta Balbi, of the Atrium's statuary collection and of the Lapidary gallery in the Capitoline Museum; the conservation of major statues in the same museum, such as the Faun, the Centaurs, and the Amazons, copies from Polyclitus and Phidias. At Ostia Antica, CCA has worked on the baths of the Cisiarii and Piazzale delle Corporazioni. In Sardinia, in the Necropolis of San Gavino at Porto Torres; in the rock-cut necropolis of S. Andrea Priu. In 2014 CCA designed and implemented the project for the restoration and museum display of fragmented frescoes, stuccoes and marble claddings from the Roman Villa of Sant’Imbenia in Alghero.
In 2015 CCA’s project of conservation and mounting of Mont’e Prama Nuragic Sculptures in Cabras, excavated between 1974 and 1979, was awarded the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards in the conservation category. Furthermore, it also received the prestigious Public Choice Award during the awarding ceremony. Thanks to the results achieved during this intervention, archaeological investigation of the site received new inputs and a conservation program is still running for the new finds, excavated during recent excavations.
CCA has been working in the Middle East since 1990.
In Turkey, CCA carried out conservation during excavation of structures and finds in the Roman city of Zeugma, which was about to be submerged by an artificial lake. During this intervention more than 1000 m2 of figured polychrome mosaic pavements were restored, now the collection of Gaziantep Museum. During this project, in 2005, CCA received special recognition from the Turkish Ministry of Culture for their commitment and the quality of treatments performed.
In 2003-2004 CCA restored the entire cycle of 16th-century wall paintings in one of the most important Koranic schools of Yemen, the Amiriya Madrasa in Radà. In 2007, the CCA received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for this project.
Recently, CCA conserved the mosaic of the Transfiguration in Saint Catherine's Monastery in Sinai, a cycle of 6th-century Byzantine mosaics of extraordinary importance.
CCA held training courses in Peru, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Yemen, Egypt, and Tunisia.
Since 2011 it has been running training courses in mosaic conservation aimed to restorers-conservators from Department of Antiquities of Syria, Libya, Jordan and Tunisia within the framework of MOSAIKON, an international initiative to support mosaic conservation in the Mediterranean area.
Since 2011 CCA has been organizing summer courses for colleges and universities in the US, characterized by theoretical teaching and practical field activities.