For years, the Educational Section of the State Superintendence of Archaeological Monuments in Rome has been carrying out history and archaeological workshops and laboratories for schoolchildren. In the year 2000 the Superintendence accepted ISES ITALIA’s proposal to include energy topics and the related environmental issues in its educational programs.

On the basis of the experiences described in previous paragraphs, a laboratory with the name of "Solar Energy by studying Ancient Architecture,” was established.

Among the working tools of the laboratory was “Solar Art and Solar Technologies:” an educational exhibit winding its way through art, history, science and technology, and pointing to a solar energy future, which ISES ITALIA developed in the year 2000 during “New Light on Rome 2000.”

Ten coloured posters summarize the main problems faced by our civilization, from energy dependence to the protection of the environment and to the role that solar technology played in the past. The titles of the posters are: [53] [54]

The posters were exhibited at the archaeological sites during the laboratories whose programs have been centred on three main aspects:

•

Fig. 4 — Solar Art and Solar Technologies — Introductory Poster

Visit of the monument — during which the main features of the archaeological remains are described;

• Reading of historical sources and archaeological texts — from energy viewpoint, with special reference to the use of solar energy and other renewable energy;

• Comparison between solar energy in the past and solar energy in the future — with analysis of modern solar technologies and their potential applications.

Pictures of the solar visible coloured spectrum produced during the Solar art exhibitions have been used during the laboratory to introduce solar radiation wavelengths and the way various modern solar technologies, from solar thermal to photovoltaic, can convert them in forms of energy useful to man: heat, electricity, and fuels.

»Solar Energy by studying Ancient Architecture", took place from 2000 to 2004 at two of the greatest monuments of Rome: Villa dei Quintili (Via Appia Antica, fig. 5), opened to the public in the year 2000 after it had been restored, and Diocletian Baths (downtown Rome, fig. 7).

Fig. 5 — Villa dei Quintil

The construction of Villa dei Quintili was started in the first century A. D.

In the second century, after Quintili’s

brother’s murder, the Villa became an Imperial residence and was completely transformed.

Today the archaeological remains cover an area of approximately 24 hectares. The archaeological remains provide evidence of the importance given by Romans to orientation of the buildings, and of the use of hypocausts for both Baths and residential building heating systems (fig. 6).

The construction of Diocletian Baths started at the end of the III century A. D. and lasted eight years. The Baths covered 13.5 hectares (376 meters X 361 meters) with one axis oriented southwest and northeast. During the "Solar Energy by studying Ancient Architecture"
laboratory, schoolchildren are invited to think about water consumption of the entire complex and then of the quantity of burning wood needed for water heating. They are taught about solar radiation captured by the large southwest oriented glass used to warm the caldarium, the warmest room of the entire complex. Today only one wall remains of the Caldarium and it is part of the “Santa Maria degli Angeli Basilica”.

Fig. 7 — Diocletian Baths model

The laboratory "Solar Energy by studying Ancient Architecture" involved about 250 schoolchildren per year. It also raised interest in 20 schoolteachers, who attended training educational sessions on solar energy in 2003. These sessions were in part spent visiting the Triclinio invernale (winter triclinio) in Palazzo Massimo, where dark frescoes were placed in order to capture solar heat and in part spent at the Villa dei Quintili archaeological remains.

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Fig. 6 — (left) Terracotta “tubuli” detail to circulate wood combustion gasses to warm the Villa’s room. View of hypocaust remains of the main reception room.

For the first time the archaeological sites were valorised during the visits also through the application of scientific and technical knowledge associated with the past solar architecture and technology.

2. Conclusions

"Solar Art and Solar Technologies" and "Solar Energy by studying Ancient Architecture" laboratory promoted by ISES ITALIA and the Educational Section of the State Superintendence of Archaeological Monuments in Rome involved from 2000 to 2004 roughly 1000 schoolchildren, 20 teachers and five archaeologists. For its innovative character and its special approach to solar education, the exhibition “Solar Art and Technologies" has been acknowledged among the 50 best projects of the "2001 Energy Globe Award."

The program has been continuously improved and has broadened its educational reach beyond schoolchildren. The experiences made at the archaeological sites from the energy

point of view lead to new research projects and initiatives on solar energy at the archaeological sites during the excavations, while exploring historical sources, and at the involved schools.

A seminar on »Solar energy and the built environment in past civilizations" will be held at the end of May 2004 to review historical sources and the most recent archaeological discoveries that have relation with solar architecture and technology. The seminar will also address the possible participation of historians and archaeologists in the history sessions planned at ISES 2005 (www. swc2005.org).

Bibliography

Butti, K. and Perlin, J., A Golden Thread: 2500 Years of Solar Architecture and Technology. Cheshire Books, Palo Alto, California, 1979.

Cantarella I. et al. "Il funzionamento delle terme. Un giorno a Pompei" Ed. Electa Napoli.

Clarke J. R., Seeing Rainbows Among the Ruines — Peter Erskine’s "New Light on Rome", Sculpture, September 2001, Vol. 20 No. 7.

Ferro P., “Solar art and solar technologies", Proceedings of the International Conference “World Sustainable Energy Day”, Wels, Austria, March 1-2, 2001

Ilsolea360gradi, Newsletter of ISES Italy, No. 7 Jul/Aug 2000, http://www. ilsolea360gradi. it/2000/luglio-agosto2000.htm

Paris R., “ViaAppia. La Villa dei Quintili“Electa, Rome, 2000

Silvi C., Secrets of the Sun — a Solar environmental artwork plays with light around the world, SunWorld, September 1992, Vol. 16 No. 3.

Tagliamone G., “Terme di Diocleziano “ Electa, Rome, 1998