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polished venetian plaster

Now considered a stylish, modern and eco friendly finish for walls, Polished Venetian Plaster has it’s roots 9,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, now the areas of Syria, Iraq and Iran.

Polished, Marble Plasters became extremely popular in Italy, in the 16th and 17th centuries, especially in the area of the Veneto where there are large marble deposits readily available. Architects at the time wanted to use marble to decorate the many palaces and churches of Venice, but were worried, that because it was an island, that it would sink under the sheer weight. (You have to remember that they also thought that the world was flat at the time!) They developed a paste, made from Marble dust and lime, that could be applied to the walls in situ, thus creating a very thin stone veneer, which was a fraction of the weight of the slabs of marble, the alternative, thus allaying their fears.

The Venetian polished plasters are now used in chic, minimalist to opulent style interiors. Their beauty belies a strong durability that does not crack or blister. The Roman architect Vitruvious wrote in his description of Venetian Plasters, “...strength and brilliance and excellence that will last to a great age.”

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