In the 1980s, in the locality of S. Andrea a Travo (Piacenza), a Neolithic settlement, datable between 4300 and 3800 B.C., was found, which represents one of the most important sites in northern Italy in terms of dwellings and structures. In the area furthest from the river and the houses, there were 23 hearths with burnt stones, which, according to chemical analyses, were used for cooking meat. However, a number of slabs were also found in the hearths with shapes and features that suggest rough anthropomorphic stelae; in particular, the one with dark traces is the main focus of this work. By analysing a fragment of one of the main stelae through electron microscopy coupled with X-ray fluorescence and vibrational spectroscopy, the present study aims to verify the reliable hypothesis that the stelae were decorated with colour, confirming that the culinary function of the hearths was linked to social events, in which the stelae had some ritual and symbolic value.

One of the greatest masters of northern Italian art between the 15th and 16th centuries is certainly Bernardino Luini, who was strongly influenced along with other important artists of his period by the painting technique of Leonardo da Vinci. In this paper, we report the results of the analytical campaign conducted on two wall paintings depicting the Marriage of the Virgin and the Adoration of the Christ Child made by Luini in the Santuario della Beata Vergine dei Miracoli in Saronno (Italy) between 1525 and 1529. The multi-analytical approach through X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier transform infrared reflection (R-FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy allowed us to characterize the color palette used in the paintings and thus, through comparison of the results, to provide support for a more certain attribution of the Adoration of the Christ Child.

In the basilica of St. Salvatore, antependiums belonging to different phases of monument decoration are visible. The most valuable, the marble frontal of the high altar, dates to 1511 and is probably the only one from the first decorative phase of the church. The side altar frontals appear to be made of wood, embroidered damask, or other fabrics. They are partly related to the renovations the basilica underwent when it was reopened for worship in the early 20th century, except for this frontal in St. Mauro's Chapel, which was plausibly made during the early 18th-century redecoration of the chapel itself. Because of its style and construction, it is assumed to belong to the Baroque decorative phase, referring to the date "1709" painted on the vault. This hypothesis is being verified by means of art-history research supported by the diagnostic study of the materials. The analyses, which are ongoing, were initially conducted on the red areas of the artefact, using portable Raman and visible reflectance spectroscopic techniques. Subsequently, measurements were taken with a hyperspectral camera, obtaining images highlighting the spatial distribution of the red pigments on the frontal.