THE DRAWING AND THE PLASTERS
ITA
ENG
The traces still present testify that the interiors of Malavilla were completely plastered, a sign, once again, of the building's wealth. Plastering was, in fact, a technique reserved for the few. To achieve it, it was necessary to start by collecting limestone rocks and firing them in stone kilns (see the one still present in Predarezzo, Municipality of Calestano) or in specially made pits. A large amount of wood was also required. At the end of the firing process, the limestone reacted chemically, turning into powder which was used, together with local aggregate, for masonry or plaster lime.
The aggregate gave the plaster its color and texture, which varied from valley to valley, creating an elegant shade of ochre (in perfect harmony with the environment) that we are now losing due to the absence of color schemes and the advent of colors completely detached from the tradition of the area.
There were alternative, much poorer techniques, and farmers once used them to achieve similar results, but without requiring this amount of work and material. Whitewashing and scraping were also techniques that, with little liquid lime, managed to seal cracks in the walls more quickly and to uniform, sanitize, and brighten the interiors of homes. Sometimes all that was needed was a broom and a bucket of lime.
In Malavilla, a charcoal drawing was found that is difficult to date, made directly on the plaster. It seems to depict a soldier of the Austro-Hungarian army, wearing the typical Prussian helmet (Pickelhaube), probably spotted by a local farmer who, in all likelihood, had participated in the First World War.