## 1 Introduction  
At the beginning of a restoration and conservation trial it is necessary, when it is possible, to analyze the target items in order to know well their characteristics and their degree of conservation. Among the various possible investigations, the microorganisms' identification and their degradation abilities are important to perform using culture-dependent and -independent approaches [1, 2]. In fact, the responsibility of microbial communities on the deterioration of cultural heritage items is largely accepted by the scientific community and operators [3, 4, 5]. Regarding the microbial action on fabric produced by natural fibers there is a widespread opinion that filamentous fungi are responsible for the biodeterioration of cellulosic textiles (cotton, linen, hemp, and jute), while bacteria primarily degrade animal fibers (silk and wool) [4; 6]. In the past, some attempts were tried to investigate silk biodegradation in laboratory conditions [7] using bacterial strains. A deep analysis of bacterial community present on museum silk velvet was also attempted [8]. Only recently a study described the role of mold in silk deterioration, although the studied items were manuscript pages where the silking technique was applied [9]. The silk objects investigated in this manuscript are buried clothes, therefore they were subjected to particular conditions, different to those described by previous works. Moreover, to our knowledge a complete microbial investigation (including culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches) was never performed for these kinds of objects coming from this specific environment.  
Various molecular biology techniques can help also to well recognize some materials, which other methods are not able to properly identify. Many cultural heritage items made by organic materials, of animal and plant origin, can be classified by the DNA analysis [10; 11]. Another aim of our study was the DNA recognition of some no-well identified items.  
The basilica of St. Giles is the most important monument on the principal square in Bardejov (Slovakia), which is inscribed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage. At the beginning of the second half of the XVII century a young girl was buried under the presbytery of this basilica. In addition to the bone remains of the girl, the archaeological study also brought to light the funeral clothes and accessories worn by the girl. Several of these girl's items, mainly diverse textile objects, should be restored in order to set up a permanent exhibition of the finds discovered during the various archaeological studies.  
We have focused our attention on those cloth objects which on their surfaces seemed to have biodeterioration phenomena and also on establishing the origin of the materials used to manufacture the stiffening material of bodice and the decorative plant relic on the girl's head.  
The microbiological survey was performed combining microscopic observation, culture-dependent, hydrolytic plate assays, and culture-independent approaches (MinION platform). The DNA analysis of bodice sticks and plant decoration was attempted using specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays and high-throughput sequencing.