Visit by Prof Lorenzo Lazzarini
from the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia, Italy
(IUAV)
February 2004
From the 22nd to the 24th of February 2004,
the Institute for Masonry and Construction Research of the University of
Malta had the pleasure of welcoming Prof Lorenzo Lazzarini of the IUAV.
Prof Lazzarini lectured within the programme leading to the award of a
Postgraduate Diploma/MSc in Conservation Technology for Masonry Buildings.
Prof Lazzarini's visit was made possible through the Italo-Maltese Cultural
agreement.
Prof Lazzarini is Full Professor of Applied
Petrography at the IUAV and Director of the Laboratorio di Analisi dei
Materiali Antichi (L.A.M.A.) of the same Institute. He has numerous years
of experience in the study of ancient building materials, the deterioration
and conservation of stone, and the characterisation and provenance studies
of marbles and ceramics. More information can be obtained from the
L.A.M.A. website at : http://www.iuav.it/lama/
During this visit, Prof Lazzarini had several
engagements. He gave lectures to the postgraduate students of the Institute
for Masonry and Construction Research on Physical and chemical processes
of stone deterioration and The deterioration and conservation of heavily
damaged granitic columns. These lectures were expertly illustrated by numerous
slides taken by Prof Lazzarini himself during his long career as a Geologist
working in the field of stone conservation.
Prof Lazzarini also gave a Public Lecture
on The most important coloured marbles used by the Romans. A member of
the Scientific Council of the Association for the Study of Marbles and
other Stones in Antiquity (ASMOSIA), Prof Lazzarini is internationally
known to be one of the foremost experts in the study of Roman marble. His
lecture, organised in collaboration with Heritage Malta, was extremely
well attended, with standing room only! A magnificent journey, lasting
almost two hours, took the audience to ancient monuments built by the Romans,
to the numerous quarries of coloured marble situated all around the Mediterranean
and which were used by the Romans, and to the Classical Period when Roman
marble was extensively reused.
