Originating in Venice, Italy, Venetian plaster gained widespread popularity in the Roman Empire as a means to imitate natural stone surfaces inside of palazzos, villas, and cathedrals. Artisans would blend lime plaster with marble dust and pigments to create the compound Venetian plaster, then trowel it onto walls or ceilings in multiple thin layers with short, overlapping strokes. Professional painters still use this authentic method today for the interior walls and ceilings in living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms. With Venetian Plaster you’re sure to end up with the luxurious look of natural stone.
However: what we know now as Venetian Plaster it’s the synthetic version, it is more reflective than the original Venetian Plaster (Lime Plaster), it can also achieve richer colours due to it’s composition which is mainly Acrylic. The natural Venetian Plaster is known as Lime Plaster or Marmorino.
