Effects of air pollution and microclimate on stained glass windows: preliminary results in the Sainte Chapelle (Paris)

One of the aims of the European VIDRIO project is to study the effects of the environment on the stained glass windows, in order to identify the best conditions for their conservation, including the use of the building. Preliminary results are available for the Sainte Chapelle (Paris) where two intensive field sur-veys have been performed and the continuous annual monitoring has started since February 2003. These re-sults show that the use of the Sainte Chapelle has a strong influence on the air's concentration of gases and particles and on the microclimatic conditions which determine their deposition patterns and velocity. More-over, especially during the concerts, the environmental conditions are favourable for condensation processes that are extremely dangerous because of the degradation to the stained glass windows. Anyway it needs to wait until the end of the research, now still in progress, before giving final advice.