Cocciopesto

Description

In ancient Rome, a particular type of mortar called “cocciopesto“, a mix of lime and brick dust or crushed terracotta fragments (coccio = pottery fragments; pesto = crushed) was widely used as:

• A plaster to protect wall structures from moisture. It has been the plaster of choice for high-humidity environments such as Roman baths, basements and cellars.
• A flooring material, both as a floor base and floor finish, due to their excellent longevity and moisture-regulating properties. 
• A finishing plaster to create impermeable linings for cisterns, wells and aqueducts (ancient water pipes), or today for bathroom or shower room walls. 

Cocciopesto plasters are special lime plasters because they are:

• Extremely breathable
• Resist moisture and humidity
• A warm material with high thermal mass, naturally preventing condensation even in high-humidity environments
• Outstanding hygro-thermal regulators, creating a pleasant, healthy, low-humidity indoor environment

Cocciopesto plasters, given the wide accessibility of their prime materials and their wide range of application, spread rapidly to every corner of the Roman empire, and they are still widely used today.

Additional information