QR3 THE DRAWING AND THE PLASTERS
The traces still present show that the interior of the Malavilla was completely plastered, a sign, once again, of the richness of the building. Plastering was in fact a technique for the few. To make it, it was necessary to start with the collection of limestone stones and bake them in stone ovens (see the one still present in Predarezzo, municipality of Calestano) or in specially made holes. A large quantity of wood was also needed. At the end of the firing process, the limestone stone would ‘bleed’ due to a chemical reaction, turning into powder used together with the local inert to form plaster or masonry lime. The inert gave the colour and grain to the plaster and for this reason it changed from valley to valley creating an elegant ochre hue (in perfect harmony with the environment) that we are losing today due to the absence of colour plans and the advent of colours completely disconnected from the tradition of the area.
There were alternative, much poorer techniques, and farmers once used them to achieve similar results that did not require this amount of work and material. Scialbature, sagramature were also techniques that, with a little liquid lime, succeeded in sealing cracks in masonry and smoothing and sanitising the interior of dwellings. Sometimes all that was needed was a sorghum broom and a bucket of lime.
In Malavilla, a charcoal drawing was found, made directly on the plaster lamination, which is difficult to date.