One of the most characteristic features of the Benedictine monastery is undoubtedly the strong two-tone effect given by its main materials. If we tried to touch a marble column and a lava stone base, we would immediately notice how they are different to the touch: the cold sensation, the porosity ...

Marble stucco is an ancient technique that tends to imitate marble and is far cheaper. The finish of this type of stucco can be of such high quality that it is indistinguishable from natural marble....

Marble and lava stone, which have very different physical and aesthetic characteristics, are the two most common materials in the construction of the Cathedral of Sant'Agata (St. Agatha). This contrast, which is already perceptible to the naked eye, becomes immediately clear when touching the mater...

Wood, white marble, colourful marble, canvas and gold are some of the materials used to compose the church's works, each with different characteristics. The smooth marble of the main altar contrasts with the irregular surface of the Solomonic columns of the rough and porous façade. The hardness...

A church decorated with infinite materials that make it wonderful and precious. If we could touch the walls and decorations of the church, we would realise how much the temperature of one material can vary compared to another: the glass windows are very cold in winter, but much warmer in summer wh...

Different materials, different techniques! In order to paint on a canvas, panel or wall, an artist must master every technique. Painting on canvas means using a soft media with a fairly smooth surface. Panels, like the one of St. Albert, are hard, made of wood and very irregular, and can have high...

The church brings out the diversity of the materials and the infinite possibilities for their use. As a matter of fact, the glass used in the large windows of the vault was also used to decorate the altars with a process that imitates marble. Used for the worshippers' seating, wood also proves to b...

The dark, petroleum-infused pietra pece of the floor smells like petrol and leaves a coat of grease on your fingers like oil! This unique rock is widely used because its particular composition can make a room resistant to humidity....

Touching objects is one of our instincts and gives us an immediate connection to what is in front of us. Touching the façade of Santa Chiara (St. Claire) would help us understand the material's hardness, the stone's temperature and the porosity of the surface (smooth or rough), giving us a great d...

One of the most characteristic elements of the Benedictine monastery is, without a doubt, the strong two-tone colour of the main materials used to build it. Try to touch a marble column on the staircase then one of the lava stone steps leading to the library, and you'll immediately notice how diff...