Abstract
The study of ancient marble plays an important role in the interpretation of historical and archaeological sites and gives interesting information about building materials used in ancient times and their trade routes. The present work focuses on Chianocco marble that represents one of the most important ancient white marbles for cultural heritage exploited in the Piedmont region (Northwest Italy) and employed for the Palazzo Madama façade. A multi-analytical study based on petrographic (optical and scanning electron microscopy), electron microprobe, cathodoluminescence and stable isotope analyses was carried out on these marbles in order to perform an archaeometric study. Chianocco marble was used in Turin during the baroque era by the Savoy architect Filippo Juvarra (1678–1736) in historical buildings, such as the façade of the Palazzo Madama, the plinth of the façade of the town Cathedral and the columns (now plastered) of the portico of Piazza San Carlo. This stone is a dolomitic rock belonging to the Mesozoic cover of the Dora Maira Massif (Pennidic Unit). It shows a vuggy fabric characterized by a vacuolar texture due to tectonic brecciation and subsequent selective dissolution during subaerial exposure. This kind of research is useful to highlight the importance of the use of local stones as building materials and to investigate stone materials for the restoration and maintenance of historical buildings.
Highlights
IntroductionArtifacts and findings are mainly made of natural and artificial materials obtained from geological resources
Ancient buildings, artifacts and findings are mainly made of natural and artificial materials obtained from geological resources
The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed petro-architectonic survey and a mineroattribution of the stones employed over the centuries [10,11]
Summary
Artifacts and findings are mainly made of natural and artificial materials obtained from geological resources. The development of geosciences as applied to cultural heritage highlights how the study of the genesis and characteristics of ornamental stones is primarily a geological matter, and has to be solved by a geologic approach [1]. In Piedmont, and in particular in Turin, stone has always been largely used for both constructions and decoration, becoming one of the distinctive elements of the local architectural heritage. City walls, floors, roofs, and other architectural elements, are often made of the many varieties of rocks belonging to the different geological units of the Western Alps [2,3,4]. The selection of stone materials in architecture is driven by specific values and meanings attributed to the different rocks; the use of specific lithotypes can be related to aesthetic values, technical progress or even
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