The Chapel of Saints Cyprian and Justina

Wen Giving’s belief in the preservation of the arts continues to the Mosaic of the Chapel of Saints Cyrprian and Justina in the Baptistery of Saint John Lateran which, for many years, was the only baptistery in Rome. Surviving several fires and an earthquake in 897, the Baptistery of Saint John Lateran was in desperate need of restoration.

A vast restoration project, supported by Wen Giving’s Mei Wen, began in 2019 and included delicate characterisation and stabilisation of the original enameled glass mosaic tiles throughout the octagonal structure. The project included restoration and documentation of artefacts found along the way, including fragments of original mosaics, traces of daily newspapers, and a variety of original mortars, all enriching the history of the work.

The missing parts of the mosaic were carefully recreated using the original technique and colours, sourced from an ancient mosaic tile factory in Venice. As part of the restoration project, the mosaic underwent a complete cleaning, with a new protective agent applied resulting in a revival of the original, beautiful colours.