August 7, 2019

Reclaimed-Looking Beams & Tre Fontane Abbey, Rome


The Apostle St Paul was imprisoned several times on his journey from Israel to Rome to await justice for preaching the "Good News" or the gospel of Christ. This was his final prison and he was beheaded in this small spot between an abbey and a (now) church. πŸ‘ΌπŸ» 



The courtyard and the spot to the left of the photo shows where the beheadings occurred. There’s also another church where those People are walking, so Left- abbey, right, prison turned church, middle back- church to remember St Paul.


The cream building called the Scala Cceli was Paul’s last prison. πŸ˜’ The top floor is now a church, ⛪️ while the basement holds the original prison cells, or the Prigione di San Paulo



They are very small- I can’t imaging these tiny spaces filled with prisoners. 

This small barred window is the only entrance to the cell, which was very small. You picture it with one person inside but in actuality it would've been filled with people waiting to be killed outside. 


When we visited there were several nuns also visiting, praying, & singing. 

Materials



Directions


1.] PREP
If you're looking to replicate this beautiful weathered look, you'll need to start with douglas fir. Our beams were rough sawn (textured) so they didn't need sanded. If your project is smooth wood, then give it a quick sand with 80 grit before staining.




2.] STAIN

Stain wood using a large paint brush. You want to really drench the wood. That's all you have to do, just let the wood stain absorb into the wood. Douglas fir is very very sappy. Reactive wood stain will not react with sap, because there are no tannins in sap. That means, if you get any sap spots you'll need to re-sand those and then stain them again.


3. TOPCOAT

For the ceiling beams you're done once they're dry. For EXTERIOR wood, make sure to protect with 2 coats of Weatherwood Exterior Waterproofer. Just brush on and let air dry. Apply the second coat in 24 hours. 






They seriously look like reclaimed timber and it was oh-so-easy!
If you liked that project, you may also like this other cool effects:

DIY Restoration Hardware Burnt Oak Driftwood Finish



Reclaimed [Looking] Douglas Fir Tables

Don't forget to save 10% on all Weatherwood products with code: WELCOME10. I hope you'll follow along on our awesome adventures abroad and of course more fantastic projects to come! 

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