The article discusses the results of a comprehensive scientific research and developed conservation solutions for the northern section of the former Bernardine Monastery in Lviv, an architectural monument of the Renaissance and Baroque periods that belongs to the UNESCO-listed Ensemble of the Historic Centre of Lviv.
The study focuses on the most endangered part of the monastery, which for 240 years has housed the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Lviv. In the summer of 2024, a portion of the masonry collapsed within the support zone of one of its cross vaults in the interior of a ground-floor gallery room.
The research encompassed architectural, structural, geological, archaeological, and сonservation science analysis, as well as the discovery of original wall paintings.
Structural assessment, archeological and geological investigation, together with materials analysis, revealed long-standing structural problems arising from the construction techniques of the period, from later excessive loads not envisaged in the building’s original functional programme, and from the loss of masonry strength caused by prolonged moisture penetration due to a malfunctioning old sewer collector and the reverse slope that progressively formed in the clay waterproofing layer in the inner courtyard.
During the conservation works, extensive fragments of authentic fresco paintings were discovered for the first time on the walls and vaults of the first-floor gallery, as well as on the walls of the cells on the second and third floors. These murals possess significant artistic and historical value, substantially expand our understanding of the monument’s original decorative programme, and require further detailed research, conservation study, and scholarly attribution.
The proposed restoration solution is primarily aimed at eliminating the emergency condition and stabilizing the structure through the use of steel ties and clamps, while at the same time ensuring the preservation of the authentic mural decoration and maintaining the historical integrity of the monument.
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