Travertine, a timeless material

Travertine is a natural limestone rock that has a very ancient history and has been used for more than two thousand years.

The name “travertine” originates from Tibur, the name by which Tivoli was called in ancient times, the city near Rome where there is a very important quarry.
The ancient Latins made extensive use of this stone in the construction of the cities of central Italy and later, during the Roman Empire, the Colosseum was built in travertine, one of the most majestic and best known works in the world. In Italy, in addition to the Tivoli area where production is the highest in terms of quality and quantity, there are also deposits in Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches: the square and the entire historic center of Ascoli Piceno are in travertine.

Travertine was formed with the ascent to the surface of mineral waters rich in calcium carbonate, which is its main component; inside we also find quartz, clay minerals, iron oxides and hydroxides, sulfur, etc.

With the continuous accumulation of carbonate material, the rocks have settled with parallel horizontal stratifications of different colors and porosities. Travertine has a certain variety of colors: ranging from milky white, to beige with longitudinal streaks to the “walnut” variant with a brownish-brown color, but we can also have shades ranging from yellow to reddish.
The color depends on the oxides that the stone has incorporated, which occurs frequently because it is a porous stone by its nature.
It can often contain fossil footprints of animals and plants.

Travertine is a material of great value and elegance and consequently expensive.

If in ancient times it was used as an ornamental material (for monuments, sculptures, balustrades, etc.) as well as for numerous buildings, it is still used today in construction for the creation of elegant floors but also in fine finishes such as bathroom coverings and furnishings.
It is a material capable of resisting over time. It is usually used in older or rustic houses but, given its versatility, it is particularly suitable where you want to combine a modern style with more classic elements.

Travertine is also suitable for fireplace bases but also for both internal and external decorative elements. Having a porous structure it absorbs humidity unless special treatments are carried out, moreover it is a cold material by nature, which does not absorb heat: for these reasons it is less used in environments such as bedrooms because it could turn into a source of cold and in kitchens, due to the high degree of absorption.

Travertine processing

However, where travertine is used for flooring and cladding, surface treatments are carried out to simplify maintenance.

The finishes most frequently applied to it are polishing and sanding, which give the material a bright and elegant appearance, helping to make it waterproof; other finishes that we can find are brushing, bush-hammering, sandblasting, etc.

If you need more information on the use or maintenance of travertine, contact us by phone or write to us by filling out the information request form below.