The use of mortar to imitate white marble and other stones

The reproduction of natural stone using different kinds of mortars has always been an important character of the architecture of Lombardy (Italy). Many examples of artificial stone, made of a coating of lime mortar on stone or brick structures, are available from Roman times. At the turn of the 20th century, a new kind of material, based on Portland cement and crushed stone, made possible a quite perfect reproduction of different kinds of stone and the making of complicated decorative elements. The raw materials employed to reproduce white marble and other stones used in Lombard architecture were investigated starting from the 'Fontana di Camerlata' (Como, 1936-62).