Twenty-one mortar samples taken from the walls in the southwest side of the Fortezza delle Verrucole (IX-XVIII century) - S. Romano in Garfagnana (Lucca, Italy) - have been analysed to characterise their binder and aggregate fractions. The chemical, mineralogical, petrographic and physical data collected on the bulk mortar samples show that the stone walls were built up using different mortars. The mortars with a hydraulic-binder are prevailing on those with an air-hardening lime binder. The older mortars, coming from the walls built before the XV century, were produced mixing lime putty with locally available sands. They are characterized by a sandy aggregate with grain size from medium to very coarse and by a number of snow-white lumps, due to a not complete mixing between binder and aggregate. This last feature suggests that the mortars were prepared, as it was usual in ancient times, hand-mixing the lime putty added to the sand. Hydraulic and highly hydraulic limes and, perhaps, cement mortars were later employed during operation of renovating and restoring.
The mortars of the «Fortezza delle Verrucole - S. Romano in Garfagnana (LU)»
LEZZERINI, MARCO
2005-01-01
Abstract
Twenty-one mortar samples taken from the walls in the southwest side of the Fortezza delle Verrucole (IX-XVIII century) - S. Romano in Garfagnana (Lucca, Italy) - have been analysed to characterise their binder and aggregate fractions. The chemical, mineralogical, petrographic and physical data collected on the bulk mortar samples show that the stone walls were built up using different mortars. The mortars with a hydraulic-binder are prevailing on those with an air-hardening lime binder. The older mortars, coming from the walls built before the XV century, were produced mixing lime putty with locally available sands. They are characterized by a sandy aggregate with grain size from medium to very coarse and by a number of snow-white lumps, due to a not complete mixing between binder and aggregate. This last feature suggests that the mortars were prepared, as it was usual in ancient times, hand-mixing the lime putty added to the sand. Hydraulic and highly hydraulic limes and, perhaps, cement mortars were later employed during operation of renovating and restoring.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
