The analysis of Cultural Heritage samples brings information on the understanding of a technique and is essential for conservation and restoration issues. However, as these samples are scarce and precious little amount is available for the analysis, which requires the development and the optimization of appropriate analytical methods. The purpose of this thesis was to develop analytical methods for the study of proteins in Cultural Heritage samples. Structural changes and chemical modifications of proteins in paint binder, due to the presence of other components or due to ageing have been investigated by using micro-Raman spectrometry and proteomics analysis. The work was then focused on a particular kind of proteinaceous substance frequently used as painting binder and adhesives: the animal glue. A method, based on high resolution mass spectrometry and allowing the identification of the origin species of the glues on the basis of species-specific peptides is presented. It was successfully applied on a gilt sample dating from the 18th century. Bovine glue was identified in the plaster support and as adhesive for the gold leaf. The development of analytical tools for the analysis of archeological samples is also a challenging task owing to the conditions in which such objects have been stored. A proteomics-based method for the identification of protein residues in archaeological ceramics is presented. Here, the work was focused on the identification of fish-specific peptides because analysis of fish amphorae was expected.
