History of Venetian Plaster

Lime plaster is among the oldest building materials known to mankind. There is evidence of its use dating as far back as 9500 years in the area of present day Jordan. The Romans were known to use it mixed with marble dust as a fine application over a coarser lime and sand aggregate.
A similar process is still used today.
Continued use of slaked lime putty existed throughout the middle ages. Documented evidence of the Mantovano finish dates back to circa 1100AD. In the mid 16th Century the Marmorino finish was used widely in the Venice region, externally over civil plaster masonry. By the 17th century many types of interior plasters flourished, the most notable being the highly polished Stucco Veneziano that was widely found in the palaces and villas of Venice.
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Nomenclature of Italian Plasters

There is no standardised naming system applied to the manufacture of Italian decorative plasters. Names may refer to composition, style, branding, or a combination of the three. Further confusion comes from the generic use of the term “Venetian” to refer to any and all types and techniques of decorative plaster work.

In most countries other than Italy, Venetian plaster includes both pure slaked lime and lime plasters modified with acrylic polymers. Some “Venetian” plasters available have little to do with actual Italian plaster. In some products there may be no lime or marble whatsoever.

In Italy, Venetian or Stucco Veneziano is one particular kind of plaster and application technique only.

Manufacturing

 The process of making Italian plaster involves  cooking  the mined limestone (calcium carbonate) in ovens or kilns at between 850-1300 degrees Celsius, producing calcium oxide (quicklime), which is then slaked with water to produce calcium hydroxide. The mixture is then left to mature or age. Roman law required the slaked lime to be aged for a minimum of 3 years. This process is called hydration. The result is lime putty, also known as non-hydraulic (it will not cure under water) hydrated, because the lime is chemically bound to the water or aerial lime because it requires exposure to air to cure. Next the slaked lime putty is filtered and mixed with marble flour, kaolin, marble dust or quartz to produce a variety of decorative plasters. Atmospheric carbon dioxide cures the lime putty after application by reacting with it to produce calcium carbonate. Thereby returning it to its original state and completing the cycle. This final process is called carbonation and takes some weeks to complete.