Building Stones of Milan and Lombardy: Volume 2: Stones of Lombardy

Milan and Lombardy have a long history of stone architecture, with different stones used in the same building. This study suggests a petrographic study of the stones quarried in the Lombard territory to understand their features and use in architecture. Volume 2 contains descriptions of the stones, including metamorphic and magmatic rocks, sedimentary rocks, and loose sediments, with a particular investigation into the stones used during the 20th century.

Format: Hardback
Length: 402 pages
Publication date: 17 April 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Milan and Lombardy have held a prominent position in the Italian nation since the Roman era, a fact reflected in the widespread adoption of stone architecture. A notable characteristic of Milan's architectural style was the use of various stones in the same structure. Situated in the heart of the Po alluvial plain, Milan was far from the sources of stone quarries. Consequently, waterways were excavated to transport building stones from the surrounding territories.

The study of stone as a building material gained significant importance towards the end of the 19th century, but it subsequently fell into neglect among architects and geologists. Consequently, it is of utmost importance to propose a comprehensive study that examines the stones used in the construction of buildings in Milan (Volume 1) in conjunction with a detailed petrographic analysis of the characteristics of stones quarried across the entire Lombard region (Volume 2).

Volume 2 provides a detailed description of the stone features documented in Volume 1. These features encompass a wide range of rocks, including metamorphic and magmatic rocks from the Alpine region, sedimentary rocks and loose materials from the Prealpine area, sedimentary rocks from the Apennine region, and loose sediments from the Padania plain. Additionally, some stones originating from other northern Italian regions and utilized in Lombard architecture are also described. Each stone is meticulously documented on a card, encompassing various details such as commercial and historical names, petrographic classification, macroscopic features, mineralogical composition, microscopic features, geological setting, quarry sites, transportation to yards, morphology of dressed elements and surface handworking, usage in architecture both within Lombardy and internationally, and decay morphologies.

A dedicated investigation is conducted to examine the stones employed during the 20th century, many of which had never been used before in Milan and Lombardy. This study sheds light on the diverse range of stones that contributed to the architectural heritage of the region during this period.

Weight: 926g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032420561