There are still many examples of original Venetian plaster marmorinos and stucco to be found along the canals of Venice. The Venetian merchants of the time with there new found wealth thanks to the lucrative trade routes, commissioned the use of marble plasters to adorn their extravagant palaces and villas. It was their intention to exhibit the new found wealth of the lagoon area venetian plaster with lavish Venetian plaster marmorinos and murals.
However it was the damp conditions of Venice that dictated the need for a finish that was to be both beautiful, but also robust enough to endure the ravages of the lagoon environment and time. Take a walk through Venice or a trip down the many canals and you will find the brightly adorned facades of the merchants houses still gracing the waterways. Maybe a little faded but this only adds to the ambiance.
Lime and marble plasters are highly breathable allowing for water to absorbed and released without causing damage. They have to a surface that is naturally anti bacterial and resistant to mold, which over time would have destroyed or irreversibly stained such examples.
The style of the Venetian plasters was widely admired and became much sort after by the royal houses, and renown architects of Europe. Fine illustrations of these original Venetian plaster finishes some of which are over 300 years old, are to be found on famous British architecture such as Buckingham palace, Windsor castle and the Albert hall. Many more may be observed around the world in hotels, churches and public buildings.
