Anna Arizzi

• Associate Professor
• PostDoc Position at University of Granada

Outdoor exposed wall paintings are highly vulnerable to decay from environmental factors such as solar radiation, humidity, and soluble salts. These factors can also affect the chromatic reintegrations in wall paintings. However, little research has been conducted on their durability. Therefore, a novel approach has been carried out by exploring th...

This paper explores the historical and geological background of the refectory of the Manzana Jesuítica in the city of Córdoba (Argentina), as a basis for characterising some of the building materials used in it. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the raw materials, labour, and production methods employed by the Jesuits in the seventeenth...

In conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, not only the deterioration processes of historical paintings (e.g. frescoes) is of interest. Knowing how restoration materials (e.g. binders and pigments used for chromatic reintegration) behave is also important to assess their resistance and stability over time. In this experimental study, two...

Verdigris is one of the earliest synthetic pigments to be used in art, a semi-organic pigment dating back to classical antiquity. In most cases, two types of verdigris were produced: neutral and basic verdigris, of which the latter is the least reactive. Despite verdigris not being recommended for alkaline environment such as frescoes, some studies...

This study aims to achieve an in-depth understanding of the manufacturing process of natural hydraulic lime (NHL) by assessing the influence of raw materials' chemical-mineralogical composition and the effect of the slaking process. NHLs with variable hydraulicity were manufactured using 56 raw materials from carbonate outcrops in Andalusia (Spain)...

The ancient cement factory Nuestra Señora de los Dolores in Atarfe (Granada) produced hydraulic binders (lime and cement) since 1890 until its closure in 1970s (Rubio Gandía et al., 2003). In this work Sierra Elvira´s outcrops already investigated for their potential hydraulicity (Rodríguez Ávila, 1912) were sampled to promote a new local manufactu...

Nano Estel (an aqueous colloidal silica dispersion of nanometric dimensions) was used as binder for chromatic reintegrations with three blue pigments: Egyptian blue, lapis lazuli and ultramarine blue. Samples were exposed for a period of a year under two different natural environments: Vigo (NW Spain), under a humid environment, moderate temperatur...

The chromatic reintegration of wall paintings, also known as inpainting, is a common practice in the conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage (CH). The main objective of the treatment is to make the narrative content of paintings with lacunae (i.e. missing paint) more artistically and iconographically legible. Very few scientific studies h...

Fresco wall paintings are one of the oldest artforms in our cultural heritage, dating back to the second millennium BC. In this work, we carry out a thorough review on the evolution of the fresco wall painting technique from Antiquity to the present day. Focused on the Mediterranean area, the aim is to gather in-depth information on different techn...

This study aims to describe the composition, texture, and arrangement of mortars and pictorial layers from a newly excavated Roman archaeological site in the province of Baetica, southern Spain. Representative fragments with well-preserved pictorial layers were analyzed using optical imaging, spectrophotometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy with Ene...

The research carried out on the wall paintings of Hernán Pérez del Pulgar’s Palace chapel in Granada (Spain) was aimed at determining its historical–artistic, stylistic, technical, and compositional aspects. For this, a 16th century frieze and an 18th century pendentive were studied. The mineralogical, chemical, and textural characterization of the...

In outdoor exposed wall paintings, material loss (in the form of lacuna) is one of the main deterioration forms and, with it, the intervention of conservator-restorers through the application of reintegration treatments is required. Nowadays, the most recommended binder for chromatic reintegration related to outdoor wall paintings is silica-based p...

In outdoor exposed wall paintings, lacuna is one of the main deterioration forms where chromatic reintegration treatments are required. Nowadays, the most recommended binder for chromatic reintegration related to outdoor wall paintings is silica-based paint, that is a mixture of pigments with a silica binder. However, while it is known that potassi...

Las pinturas murales se caracterizan por formar parte de la arquitectura en la que se encuentran y, por tanto, de ser susceptibles a deteriorarse al interaccionar con factores ambientales. Como consecuencia se producen formas de alteración que pueden conllevar la pérdida de la capa pictórica. Esto implica que conservadores y restauradores tengan qu...

Poster on the study of fresco wall painting mock-ups and chromatic reintegrations with nanosilica after six months of exposure in Vigo (NW Spain) and Granada (S Spain). The pigments used were egyptian blue, lapis lazuli and ultramarine blue.

La mayoría de los edificios históricos, al estar construidos antes del siglo XX y ser previos a la aparición del cemento Portland, están constituidos por materiales muy diferentes a éste (Callebaut et al., 2001). Por ello, hoy en día se fomenta el uso de materiales más compatibles con los tradicionales (Kirilovica et al., 2018), resurgiendo el uso...

Mortars are heterogeneous building materials whose raw materials, manufacturing processes and application conditions have evolved continuously throughout history. The fact that apparently small changes in the components or dosages of mortars can affect their overall performance in the masonry makes the study of historic mortars a complex task that...

This research focuses on the analysis of the influence of two secondary salt weathering processes on the durability of rocks exposed to marine environments: chemical dissolution of rock forming minerals and differential thermal expansion between halite and the hosting rock. These processes are scarcely treated in research compared to salt crystalli...

The southeast of the Iberian Peninsula counts with a large number of earthen defensive architecture built in the medieval period. This heritage has been granted the highest level of protection by Spanish legislation and some of these structures are even listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites worldwide. Notwithstanding, the natural and anthropic risk...

A collection of pottery vessels uncovered during the first season of excavations in the Deh Dumen Bronze Age graveyard (the second half of the third millennium BC) located in south-western Iran were studied by using chemical, mineralogical and physical techniques, with the aim to identify the pottery manufacturing process in this region. The site i...

Mineralogical, chemical and physical characterization of archaeological lime mortars from different structures at Amaiur Castle (Navarre, Spain) was accomplished in order to comprehend their durability. Mortars from the south-west of the 16th century filling and bastion, and the south-east mortars of the17th century bastion are the most susceptible...

In this paper, we studied building materials from the Niğde-Kınık Höyük archaeological site (Southern Cappadocia, Turkey) with the support of historical, architectural, and geological research. The samples were collected within the framework of the Kınık Höyük Archaeological Project, which began excavations at the site in 2011 in a bid to conserve...

Natural stone has long been used as a building material because of its physical-mechanical resistance and its esthetic appeal. However, over the last century increasing industrial activity has produced more acidic environments, such as polluted urban areas, that can cause serious damage to many buildings and historic monuments, and in particular th...

This work shows the preliminary results of the characterisation of earthen materials, rendering mortars and patinas of the Tower of the Heads, belonging to the fortified walls of the Alhambra (Granada, Spain). This work provides a scientifical-technical study of the original and repair building materials of the tower, so as to understand the buildi...

This paper studies the influence of sawdust on the petrophysical properties of solid bricks. Brick samples without additives were handmade using a clayey earth that is rich in quartz and phyllosilicates and has some carbonate content. Similar bricks were made with added sawdust at 2.5%, 5% and 10% weight. The bricks were fired in an electric kiln a...

Metals are materials that undergo major alteration processes during their natural weathering. This frequently leads to very severe corrosion processes that result in notable degradation and even loss of mass of the material. In metals and alloys the first consequence of their interaction with the environment is the formation of the patina, which ma...

Cultural heritage is unquestionably one of the driving forces behind the change of tourism paradigm that has lead over the last decade to a change in the tourism model in many areas that did not have the possibility of integrating this powerful resource. Cultural tourism needs attractors in order to encourage the inclusion of certain areas in the c...

The limestone used at the Pasargadae World Heritage Site in Iran, an outstanding open-air architectural heritage site dating from the Achaemenid period (sixth century BC), has suffered weathering due to interaction with the environment. It was built out of beige limestone that today shows scaling and pitting decay patterns. Two inorganic consolidat...

The original version of this article, unfortunately, contained error. The replacement Figs. 3, 6 and 7 provided during correction stage were not carried out. Given in the article are the correct figures. The original article has been corrected.

In 1985 many mediaeval fortifications were classified as cultural heritage assets by the Spanish Historic Heritage Act, which imposed an obligation to preserve them from decay. Unfortunately, this legal mandate is often difficult to fulfil in practice due to insufficient knowledge of the building materials and techniques used in these constructions...

در این پژوهش به‌لحاظ ارزش والای آثار معماری سنگی ایران و ضرورت حفظ و نگه‌داری آنها برای آیندگان، پژوهشی بر ارتقای خواص مکانیکی سنگ آهکی (سنگ آهک ماسه‌دار) به‌کاررفته در معماری پاسارگاد از طریق استفاده از مادۀ نانوسیلیکات (SiO2) به‌عنوان استحکام‌بخش برای بهبود خواص مکانیکی سنگ و درنتیجه افزایش عمر این نوع سنگ‌‌ها انجام گرفت. در این راستا خواص جذب آب...

Archaeological lime mortars from the Tower Keep and West perimeter wall of Irulegi Castle (Navarre, Spain) were analysed to determine susceptibility to deterioration. Chemical, mineralogical, textural and physical characterisation was performed by different tests and multianalysis techniques in order to determine the intrinsic features of the origi...

The use of industrial limes implies obtaining mortar pastes with worse plasticity and workability compared to lime putties. To overcome this inconvenience, a great number of additives can be used, the majority of them being plasticisers and water-retaining agents. In this work three natural polysaccharides with hydrogel properties (agar–agar, algin...

Different pathologies may arise on a wall finish if this is applied on a hemp-based rammed wall that is not completely dry. By simulating uneven drying and early-rendering of load-bearing and non-load-bearing hemp concrete blocks (made with natural hydraulic lime only or a mix of lime with clay) and studying them by means of chromatic, microbiologi...

We investigated the viability of a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst residue (FC3R) as an alternative sustainable pozzolanic additive in aerial lime mortars. The pozzolanic activity of FC3R was compared to that of metakaolin (MK) by chemical-mineralogical, petrographic and physical investigations. The FC3R showed lower pozzolanic activity than MK w...

The architectural remains at Pasargadae were built of three different stones classified according to their colors (beige, dark-gray, and green-gray). The stones show different macroscopic features, such as texture and decay patterns. The aim of this study is to identify the composition of the stones and to evaluate the main decay factors through pe...

Pasargadae Wolrd Heritage Site related to Achaemenid period in Iran (6th century BC). Pasargadae was built using three different types of limestone which differ in color. In this study, beige limestone has been chosen for consolidation treatment because of its decay, as in scaling and peeling. Two products; nano-lime and ammonium phosphate were con...

Pasargadae is an archaeological site from Achaemenid period (550 BC) which is one of Iran’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It included: mausoleum of Cyrus the Great, two royal palaces, fortress and the remains of a temple. Three different types of limestones are distinguished on the basis of their color: beige, green-gray, and dark-gray. In naked eye...

Nueva Tabarca is a small island located in the Mediterranean Sea, close to the city of Alicante (SE of Spain). Although the island is mainly known for its marine reserve, its fortified village is an exceptional example of Baroque architectural heritage, mainly built with stone and lime mortars. However, in spite of the singularity of its monuments,...

This current research is focused on the mineralogical and petrographic characterisation of mortar-based materials from Villa San Marco in the ancient Stabiae (modern Castellammare di Stabia, Napoli), an outstanding example of Roman otium villae, and aims at recognising the technology used by the ancient skilled workers.

Pasargadae archaeological complex is the first capital of Achaemenid period dated to about 550 BC and is located 135 Km north-east from Shiraz, in Fars province (South of Iran). There are different royal buildings in this archaeological site that ruined as the time goes on and only some stone parts of these buildings left standing. Pasargadae build...

Hemp-based composites are eco-friendly building materials as they improve energy efficiency in buildings and entail low waste production and pollutant emissions during their manufacturing process. Nevertheless, the organic nature of hemp enhances the bio-receptivity of the material, with likely negative consequences for its long-term performance in...

The benefits of using sustainable building materials are linked not only to the adoption of manufacturing processes that entail reduced pollution, CO2 emissions and energy consumption, but also to the onset of improved performance in the building. In particular, hemp-lime composite shows low shrinkage and high thermal and acoustic insulating proper...

This work focuses on the chemical-mineralogical, textural and physical-mechanical properties of hydraulic lime mortars made with siliceous and calcareous aggregate. Mortars were cured at 60% and 90% of relative humidity, so as to assess the variability of mortar petrophysical properties in the hardened state due to the moisture conditions. The fina...

This paper analyses the efficacy of dispersions of nanoparticles of calcium hydroxide for consolidating lime mortars, according to three variables: the type of dispersion (3 consolidating compounds—CaLoSil�, Nanorestore� and Merck�—with different-sized calcium hydroxide particles); the concentration of the dispersion (5 and 25 g/L of Ca(OH)2 in iso...

This study gives an example of the steps that a repair work must include to be successful. It deals with a specific building, repair material (lime mortar) and application (render), but also with the study of the repair mortar in the laboratory and on site. Firstly, the original materials of the wall were characterized to ensure compatibility with...

This work highlights the importance of applying suitable methods for the design of air-hardening lime mortars with the correct water dosage and binder-to-aggregate ratios. To this end, the recently developed ‘wet packing method’ has been used to assess the optimum water-to-binder ratio at which the packing density is achieved in lime mortars with d...

Mixing hemp with aerial or natural hydraulic lime gives rise to mortars with improved flexibility and insulation but with peculiar microstructure compared to lime-aggregate mortars. The chemical-mineralogical and morphological investigation carried out here shows that hemp absorbs most of the water present in the matrix, causing superficial deposit...

In this study, we assessed the durability of hemp-based mortars by means of accelerated weathering tests, simulating coastal and inland areas with a Mediterranean climate. Mortars were produced with dry hemp hurds (i.e. inner part of the stem) and three binders: dry hydrated lime, lime putty and natural hydraulic lime. Simulation of temperature and...

Thirty-two ceramic fragments of Early Iberian Age were collected in the Canto Tortoso area, an archaeological site located about 100 km far from the city of Granada (Spain). The site is placed on a hill delimited by two rivers, Fardes and Guadiana Menor. Ceramics are equally divided into amphorae and vessels and half of them have black core. Sample...

This paper reports on investigations of the influence of the texture, morphology and grading of fine aggregates on the microstructure and macroscopic properties of aerial lime-based mortars. To understand the role of the aggregate in the outcome of the carbonation process, mortars set with two aggregates were cured for 2 years under standard condit...

The influence of mineralogy, grading and dosage of the aggregate on the propagation velocity and the spatial attenuation of P waves within lime-based mortars were studied. Four binder-to-aggregate ratios and two aggregates with different composition and grading were used for the preparation of six types of lime mortars. A calcitic dry hydrated lime...

Water (in the solid, liquid and vapour state) is one of the main factors that drive construction materials to deterioration. To assess the quality and durability of a repair rendering mortar, thus ensuring its protective function in the masonry structure, it is fundamental to study the behaviour of this mortar towards water. Mortars were elaborated...

In recent years the use and study of lime mortars are being improved because lime shows a high compatibility with the ancient materials of the Architectural Heritage. On the other hand, the scarce knowledge of the fabrication techniques, the application methods used in the past and the long time of setting have driven scientists and restorers to ad...

Differences in the texture, mineralogy, hygric and mechanical properties of mortars prepared with dry hydrated limes of calcitic and dolomitic composition are investigated in this work. Special attention is given to the influence of the lime microstructure and the mortars curing condition. The effect of using two different aggregates (natural and c...

This work deals with the effects of a lightweight aggregate, plus water-retaining and a water-reducing agents on the hardened properties of mortars in which the aerial lime is replaced by a 10% and 20% metakaolin content. The influence of different binder-to-sand ratios (1:3, 1:4, 1:6, 1:9 by weight) is also investigated here. A tight relationship...

The study of the rheological properties of lime suspensions is a useful means to evaluate the workability of lime mortars. In this work, we studied the flow behaviour of two industrial hydrated limes, one of calcitic and the other of dolomitic composition, by means of two types of rheometer with different geometry and setup mode. The obtained resul...

Rendering is the practice of covering a wall or a building façade with one or more layers of mortar, with the main aim to protect the masonry structure against weathering. The render applied must show high flexibility, good adhesion and compatibility with the support (i.e. stone, brick) and, overall, it should be characterised by low water absorpti...

To find out which render mortar mix shows the best durability properties, we have designed four ageing tests that aim to simulate water movements, ice formation and salt crystallization in lime mortars exposed to an extreme, but realistic, range of temperature and humidity. It has been found that the response of individual mortar mixes differs acco...

Lime mortar is one of the most ancient and durable building materials. It is characterized by a slow carbonation during which Ca(OH) 2 reacts with CO 2 present in air and forms calcite, giving rise to a stronger and more compact material. This process takes place from the surface to the interior of the material and it is strongly affected by the re...

Los mayores inconvenientes que derivan del empleo de la cal aérea como aglomerante en morteros de restauración son una lenta carbonatación, bajas resistencias mecánicas y una elevada retracción por secado. Para contrarrestar estas desventajas y descartando a priori el uso del cemento Portland en intervenciones de restauración del patrimonio históri...

The sulfation of four types of calcitic and dolomitic lime mortars exposed to SO2 in the presence of particulate matter from diesel vehicle exhaust emissions has been investigated. The binders mineralogy and mortars texture are the main factors influencing the formation of deleterious sulfate salts. The type of binder also influences the pore size...