Kamień w architekturze sakralnej i użytkowej Sycylii

Abstract

A stone in the sacred and functional architecture of Sicily.A b s t r a c t. The Sicily island is rich in high quality rock raw materials and has a long historical culture in natural stone production. The resources of limestone, marble, sandstone and basalt in Sicily are huge and exploited for many centuries. Its biggest city centers and historical monuments are adorned with locally quarried marble, limestone and lava stone from the Etna volcano. Exploring the raw materials potential was closely related to the development of first Sicily inhabitants who initially used available natural stones adapting them for their basic needs. The art of using stones – in the field of building structure improvement, and the use of impressive rock varieties in sculpture and art decoration were developed by ancient Greeks, Romans, and later Arabs and Normans who invaded this island. In many Sicilian cities it is possible to trace new objects growing on the older buildings, which are characterized by the invader cultures or new trends in construction. Material culture of stone applied in Sicilian construction and architecture was developed with the emerging styles. For the construction of these historical buildings, a local stone on the island has been used.