Decorazioni di pietra artificiale: ornamento, innovazione e degrado.

In the first half of 20th century most Italian architecture is characteristic of plastic-architectonic ornaments, more or less worked out, that enrich buildings fronts. In this period a technique were specified to make objects like natural stones by use and working of grout or lime mortar. Frameworks and rich decorations of "artificial stone" were done with amazing aesthetic results, often with a wisely alternation of natural stone. Today a lot of this hand worked objects of great value are in bad condition, moreover elaborated decorations on outside fronts and the use of experimental and innovative mixture cause or increase the degradation, too.This note intends to look into the close relation between decoration display, artificial stone and degradation by the study (material and degradation analysis) on two of the most interesting examples of liberty architecture in Liguria: Villa Zanelli in Savona and the Giorgio Borghese Stairs in Genoa.