The use of stucco-marble to restore veined polished limestone. The case of the pavement in the major sacristy of the Cathedral of Seville

Author(s): Antonio González Portillo, Maria Teresa Freire
Paper category: Proceedings
Book title: Proceedings of the 5th Historic Mortars Conference
Editor(s): José Ignacio Álvarez, José María Fernández, Íńigo Navarro, Adrián Durán, Rafael Sirera
ISBN: 978-2-35158-221-3
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-222-0
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2019
Pages: 201-210
Total Pages: 10
Language : English

Abstract: This paper shows the methodology and the results of the intervention of restoration of the pavement of the major sacristy of the Cathedral of Seville. The pavement dates from the beginning of the 19th century and is made of polished white and black paving stones of marble and red slabs of limestone.
This difference between the types of materials was translated into uneven resistance to wear, leading to a faster decay of limestone. The result is now inappropriate, both from the aesthetical and the security of the users' point of view. In fact, the main reason to carry out this restoration was to avoid people stumbling on the largest holes that exist in the slabs of limestone, subjected to daily pedestrian trafficking in one of the most visited monuments in Spain.
Due to the abrasion caused by the large influx of people, it was necessary to re-integrate the lost volume and at the same time preserve the veined morphology and colours of the limestone, despite the abrasion actions through time.
It was decided to use the traditional technique of stucco-marble, also known as “scagliola”, since it allows achieving a marble-like finish of a great aesthetic quality. At the same time, depending on the type of plaster chosen, surfaces with a great resistance to abrasion, similar to the stone, can be obtained.
One year after the intervention, the reintegrated materials maintain quite a remarkable appearance, conserving a very similar brightness to that of the slabs of limestone which have been restored, in spite of the abrasion derived from continued pedestrian trafficking.

Online publication : 2019
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros) : 0.00