The Department of Geosciences at the University of Padua, as a partner in the Interreg Kras-Carso II project, recently nominated Pietra di Aurisina for Heritage Stone status. This certification is issued by the IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences), one of the world's most important scientific associations, which promotes international collaboration in the field of geology. To be recognised as a Heritage Stone, a stone must meet four fundamental criteria:
International distribution of the stone and its use in construction, buildings and monuments.
Use of the stone in buildings that have had a significant historical and cultural impact, recognised internationally.
Historical use of the stone as a key factor in the development of a significant culture or society and its traditional architecture.
Uniqueness of the geological characteristics of the stone in question.
Aurisina stone, used since Roman times for the construction of important monuments, including the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Aquileia and the Mausoleum of Theodoric, meets these four criteria.
In order to collect useful geological data on Aurisina stone, researchers from the Department of Geosciences visited stone quarries in Italy and Slovenia and collected numerous samples, also carrying out a photogrammetric survey of some of the walls of the Cava Romana di Aurisina (TS) quarry. Archaeological data on the use of stone over the centuries was also collected, and historical archives and public databases on quarrying activities were consulted.
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Text author: Dr. Ingrid Urban
