History of Venetian Plaster "Strength, brilliance and excellence that will last to a great age." Venetian Plaster as described by Roman Architect Vitruvius The Romans used mixtures of lime and sand to build up preparatory layers over which finer applications of gypsum lime,sand, and marble dust were applied.  Pozzolanic ash powders were sometimes added to produce a more rapid set.   Around the 4th century BC the Romans discovered the principles of the hydraulic set of lime,which,by the addition of highly reactive forms,such as silica or alumina and other volcanic earths,could solidify rapidly,even under water.These techniques were used very little after the Roman period,until the 18th century. Pliny the Elder, considered one of the great historians of the Roman Empire was the author of a 37-volume encyclopedia on natural history,documented the Roman's method of slaking limestone, keeping it covered in pits and in dark cellars for 3 years. The secret being the slow and thorough slaking and maturing of the limestone. The Romans discovered that if the limestone plasters were exposed before application, they absorbed carbonic and atmospheric gases, which carbonated it and caused the plaster to lose its causticity, binding and hardening nature.   Animal hair was employed as reinforcement. Today we use fiberglass. Additives which assisted the set or plasticity included malt, beer, milk and eggs. Today we use acrylics and resins.   In the mid 15th century, stuccatori veneziani (venetian plasters) developed a new type of external covering called marmorino. This resembled marble, but with a fraction of the weight of marble, hence its prominent use on the island of Venice, as architects at that time were concerned that excessive use of marble in the palaces and churches could cause the island to sink.   In the 16th century a new decorative internal plaster was developed called scagliola. The composition was gypsum plaster, animal glue, and pigments.It was used to imitate colored marble, in a much lighter form, it being a very fine surface coating. Sand, marble dust, and lime were sometimes added. The 17th century was a golden era for scagliola plasters, who were mostly italian monks. Andrea Palladio's return to classicism in the 16th century brought about resurgency in the popularity of fine surface plasters in the veneto (which is a region around venice). He employed a very talented venetian plasterer Alessandro Vittoria who used marmorino finish in Palladio's elegant villas.     Four hundred years later, in the 1960's, the italian architect Carlo Scarpa revived the venetian plaster. He reintroduced the use of stucco in his work in a modern dimension, successfully uniting design, color, and material.   The venetian plasters are now used in classical style interiors. Their beauty belies a strong durability that does not crack or blister. The roman architect Vitruvius wrote in his description of venetian plaster, "Strength and Brilliance and Excellence that will last to a great age". Luigi Gino Cioffi  continues the classic natural Italian Venetian Plaster tradition today.  Andrea Palladio