The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage

Established in 1948, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage is one of ten scientific institutions falling within the competence of the Federal Ministry of Scientific Policy. IRPA is committed to the inventory, the scientific study, the conservation and the promotion of the country's artistic and cultural property. The Institute, whose chief mission is research and public service, represents a unique instrument for the heritage of our country, both movable and immovable.

Three departments group art historians, photographers, chemists, physicists and conservator-restorers. By comparing their observations, they gather reference material and study works of art from different points of view: their composition, evolution, ageing of materials and how to treat them. Any restoration treatment will be based on this detailed pre-study.

Our specialists advise researchers and curators of both public and private collections. An impressive photo library is also available for public use. The photo library contains, at present, over one million photos. Each year, the library, specialized in art history, is quite visited. Furthermore, the publications, the photo inventory and the organization of courses, conferences and seminars reflect the role IRPA plays in the promotion of heritage and the diffusion of tools for researchers and the public.

The Institute groups laboratories, conservation-restoration workshops, photographic workshops, a photo library and a library in a single building. The building was designed in such a way as to join together very different work units and obtain an interdisciplinary approach to works of art. Some sections of the building have just been listed.

If you are a curator of a public collection, a private collector or a researcher and you have a piece with great heritage interest, you can ask our specialists for advice, a photo, the study of such piece or even a conservation and/or restoration treatment.