Venetian Plaster Info

Amelia Stein

During the Renaissance, in Venice, Italy, builders tried to simulate the look of marble without the weight. The city of Venice was sinking and the traditional look of marble on the public buildings of Europe was impossible. To do this the builders combined aged slaked lime with marble dust. This technique became known throughout the world as Venetian plaster or stucco veneciano in Italian. The various Italian plaster finishes using Venetian plaster can simulate marble, and other faux wall finishes.

The traditional Venetian plaster consists of lime putty, 40% marble flour or dust, and aged slaked lime. The premium Venetian plasters from Europe are aged in underground vats. This causes the plaster to hydrate thoroughly but also causes it to absorb trace elements from the surrounding rock. Our premixed Venetian plaster is among the premium European products offered.

Venetian plaster finishes are more durable than a painted surface and it’s creativity is only limited by the application of the artist. Before the production of acrylic compounds, Venetian plaster could only be applied over plaster or masonry walls because the substrate had to be porous for the plaster to bond.

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