The first traces of it may be found in the Mediterranean area, these go back to the period from 3.000 to 2.500 BC. Egyptians made a great use of it, the practice passed on Greeks and then to Persians to the East, then as far as the palaces of Maharajas in India. To the West, in Rome, Marco Vitruvio Pollione describes it into his “Ten Books of Architecture”, the use of this material spread throughout the Roman Empire. “Marmorino” hence became the most widespread finishing material for plaster work in buildings of classical style in Florence and then of mannerism style so renowned in Venice and its Republic.

HISTORICAL OUTLINE
MARMORINO: from latin “marmatum” or “opus marmatum”, indicates a kneading of marbles powder. Formerly quoted by Plinius and Vitruvius (book VII -2nd chap.), then Palladio (1508-1580) from Vitruvius wrote in his “De Architectura” that marmorino was taken from Rome to Venice by Giambattista Franco, called “Semolei”, venetian (1498-1561) who worked in Rome and then brought to Venice this technique, there after all Italian stuccos have been made with marmorino’s knead. In 1500 Alessandro Vittoria worked in Venice with Master Bartolomeo Ridolfi (sculptor) within Palladio’s craft team: Palazzo Ducale, its Golden Stairs and the ceilings of Marciana Librairy also, Villa Giacomelli in Treviso, Villa Maser in Udine and many others in Venice and all over Serenissima territory were made by them.
From this very prestigious Bottega (Workshop) comes the Venetian tradition of marmorino, generations after generations of Artisans – Artists – Masters who left splendid traces of themselves and the Civilisation represented by their works.
Stucco-worker moulded realistic, fantastic, mythologica decorations, mirror of an already European Culture, since then techniques to get a marmorino surface compact, smooth silk like, uniform colour taint into the paste , marbled “a fresco” or gilded, are the same. Numerous decorators – plasterers developed different styles throughout the centuries up now.

Today, like yesterday, plasterer follows the Traditional System, after his Master’s lesson learns how to lay a coat of marmorino, to do marbling on it, to make relief moulding, to paint it (a fresco also) decorative motives, to realize his own projects or someone else’s, perfectly mastering his Matter and his Manual ability which become His personal distinctive Touch, plasterer is necessarily a restorer too.

Though too many people use title and matter unduly, Venice and its surroundings are an island of culture and preservation of this artistic tradition, there still are actively operating the Masters, there antique and modern techniques are coincident, Venice inherited Rome legacy developing marmorino’ s art – experience.