From the remarkable Italian Rustic: How To Bring Tuscan Charm Into Your Home by E. H. Minchilli, Artisan, 2009, Chapter 2.  “INTERIOR WALL FINISHES", PP. 22-30.

BUILDING TO A FINISH

ITALIAN RUSTIC FARMHOUSES ARE USUALLY BUILT OF LARGE, ROUGHLY DRESSED BLOCK OF LOCAL STONE LAYERS WITH CEMENT TO FOR THICK WALLS.  THE INTERIOR SIDES OF THESE WALLS ARE TREATED WITH A SPECIAL BASE.  WHILE MOST MODERN HOMES IN THE UNITED STATES START OUT WITH RELATIVELY SMOOTH SURFACES, SUCH AS PLASTERBOARDS, IN ITALY THE GOAL IS TO SMOOTH THE ROUGH AND BUMPY STONE SURFACES TO A LEVEL BASE.  THE PROCESS CONSISTS OF TWO LAYERS:  THE INTONACO; AND THE VELO, OR COLLETTA.

THE FIRST LAYER:  INTONACO

AS WITH MANY ITALIAN BUILDING ELEMENTS, THE FIRST LAYER OF PLASTER GOES BY MANY NAMES.  THE MOST COMMON ARE RINZAFFO AND INTONACO.  TRADITIONALLY, THIS FIRST LAYER IS APPLIED BY THE STONEMASON, WHO MIXES LOCAL SAND WITH CALCE, OR LIME, A METHOD THAT HAS BEEN GAINING IN POPULARITY AS A MORE NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO CEMENT.  THE MASON CAREFULLY MIXES THE SAND AND LIME WITH WATER TO A CREAMY CONSISTENCY, JUST THINK ENOUGH SO IT DOESN'T DRIP.

                THE MASON THEN USES A CAZZUOLA (TROWEL) TO PICK UP SOME OF THE FRESHLY MIXED PLASTER AND THROW IT AGAINST THE WALL, WITH A SOFT THWUMP!  THE FORCE OF THE THROW IS ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT, SINCE IT ALLOWS THE PLASTER TO MAKE ITS WAY DEEP INTO THE CREVICES BETWEEN THE IRREGULAR STONES.  USING THE SAME TOOL, THE PLASTER IS SMOOTHED DOWN AND PUSHED INTO CRACKS, EVENING OUT THE BUMPY SURFACE.  EVENTUALLY THE STONE IS COVERED, AND A MORE OR LESS PRISTINE SURFACE IS READY FOR THE NEXT LAYER.

THE SECOND LAYER:  COLLETTA

THE SECOND LAYER HAS AN ALMOST INFINITE NUMBER OF VARIATIONS, GOING FROM BARELY COVERING PLASTER TO HIGHLY DECORATED FRESCOES THAT ARE ALMOST GLASS SMOOTH.  IN BETWEEN ARE FINISHES THAT REQUIRE VERY SPECIFIC SKILLS AND MATERIALS.  IN UMBRIA, THIS IS CALLED COLLETTA AND DERIVES FROM THE WORD COLLA, OR GLUE, SINCE THE LAYER IS THIN AND STICKY LIKE GLUE.  IN SLIGHTLY MORE POETIC TUSCANY, IT IS CALLED, VELO, LIKE A VEIL, SINCE IT IS THAT THIN.  REGARDLESS OF THE TERM, THE AIM IS TO APPLY A THINNER, MORE REFINED LAYER TO THE ROUGH INTONACO, OR PLASTER, BELOW.  THIS SECOND LAYER, LIKE THE FIRST, IS MADE UP OF A MIXTURE OF LIME, OR CEMENT, AND VERY FINE SAND AND WATER, BUT MIXED TO A THINNER CONSISTENCY.. IT, TOO, IS APPLIED WITH A SPECIALIZED TYPE OF TROWEL CALLED L'AMERICANA.

THE FINAL LAYER

THE LAST LAYER TO THE PLASTER COVERING THE STONE IS VERY THIN, ONLY 2 TO 4 MILLIMETER (ABOUT ½ INCH).  VARYING DEGREES OF SMOOTHNESS CAN BE ACHIEVED; THE FINAL CHOICE IS IN PART AN AESTHETIC DECISION, AND IN PART A FINANCIAL ONE.  THE SMOOTHER THE WALL, THE MORE LABOR INVOLVED.  AND FOR A PERFECTLY SMOOTH FINISH, IN WHICH EXTRA TOOLS SUCH AS METAL GUIDES ARE USED, THE COST CAN SOAR.

INTONACO CIVILE

INTONACO CIVILE, CIVIL PLASTER, IN ONE OF THE FINAL LAYERS.  IT IS APPLIED BOTH TO PROTECT THE WALL AND TO CREATE A VISUALLY PLEASING SURFACE.  THE SAND USED IS FINE, AND THE THICKNESS OF THIS LAYER IS USUALLY MORE THAN 1/10 INCH (3MM).  TRADITIONALLY THIS FINAL LAYER IS ALSO TINTED WITH COLOR SO THAT NO FURTHER PAINTING IS NECESSARY.

DECORATIVE PLASTER:  STUCCO ROMANO AND STUCCO VENEZIANO

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR WAYS TO INCORPORATE AN ITALIAN DECORATIVE ELEMENT INTO YOUR HOME IS TO USE A SPECIALIZED PLASTER TECHNIQUE SUCH AS STUCCO ROMANO OR VENEZIANO.  THE GLEAMING SURFACES OF ITALIAN DECORATIVE PLASTER DATE BACK TO ROMAN TIMES.  THE CLASSIC RECIPE INCLUDES DUST FROM GROUND POZZOLAN, A TYPE OF VOLCANIC SAND, WHICH ENABLES THE FINISH TO REACH AN ALMOST GLASSLIKE SHINE.  ANOTHER KEY INGREDIENT IS SLAKED LIME PUTTY, WHICH IS MIXED WITH STONE DUST, USUALLY MARBLE OR QUARTZ, THEN COLORED WITH PIGMENT.  THE SKILLS USED TO DEVELOP THESE FINISHES WERE PERFECTED IN THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES IN AND AROUND VENICE, WHICH IS WHERE VENETIAN PLASTER GOT ITS NAME.  TODAY A WIDE RANGE OF FIRMS PRODUCE PREMADE MIXTURES, USING BOTH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS AND ACRYLIC BINDERS, WHICH MAKE THE TECHNIQUE EASIER TO EXECUTE.

APPLYING COLOR

 ABANDONED FARMHOUSES IN ITALY OFTEN BOAST SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY MOTTLED PASTEL WALLS.  THE PALE HUES RIPPLE ACROSS THE ROUGH LAYERS OF PLASTER, WEATHERED BY YEARS OF USE, KITCHEN SMOKE, AND SOMETIMES EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS.  AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM ARE PAINTING TRADITIONS THAT HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH PALACES AND VILLAS.

FARMHOUSE COLOR

GENERALLY, IN FARMHOUSES, AFTER THE INTONACO IS FINISHED, THE PAINT IS APPLIED.  THIS IS DONE A CALCE, OR WITH A LIME-BASED PAINT TO WHICH PIGMENT GETS ADDED.  LIME-BASED PAINTS ARE COMMONLY USED BECAUSE THEY ARE THOUGHT TO BE MORE ATTUNED TO VAGARIES OF HUMIDITY, LETTING THE "BREATHE" RATHER THAN LOCKING IN THE HUMIDITY.  IN ITALY IT IS STILL TRADITIONAL TO USE THIS FORMULA - RATHER THAN NEWER LATEX-BASED PAINTS - FOR CEILINGS AND IN MORE HUMID ROOMS, SUCH AS BATHROOMS AND CELLARS.

                IN THE TRADITIONAL FARMHOUSES, COLOR REPRESENTED AN EXTRA COST:  THE MORE PIGMENT, THE BIGGER THE EXPENSE.  THIS CONSIDERATION RESULTED IN A PALETTE THAT IS PRIMARILY PASTEL, IN TONES OF BLUE, GREEN, AND PINK [RED, AND YELLOW], SINCE PALE SHADES REQUIRE LESS PIGMENT.  BECAUSE THE PART OF THE WALLS THAT RECEIVED THE MOST WEAR AND TEAR WAS THE AREA NEAR THE FLOOR, WHERE MOPS AND BROOMS WOULD SWEEP UP DIRT AND WATER, A PAINTED BATTISCOPA, OR BASEBOARD, WAS TRADITIONALLY APPLIED.  THIS WAS OFTEN NO MORE 6-INCH (10- TO 15-CM) STRIP OF A MORE INTENSE COLOR THAN THAT APPLIED TO THE WALLS, BUT IT ALSO COULD BE A CONTRASTING COLOR.

THE CLASSICAL WALL

IF YOUR TASTE GOES BACK CENTURIES,, THEN TRUE FRESCO, OR AFFRESCO, CAN PROVIDE RICH PATTERNS AND COLORS THAT ARE LITERALLY PART OF THE FABRIC OF THE WALL.  THE WORD AFFRESCO COMES FROM FRESCO, OR FRESH.  THE TECHNIQUE, USE BY SUCH ARTISTS A MICHELANGELO AND RAPHAEL, DATES BACK TO THE RENAISSANCE.  EACH DAY A SECTION OF PLASTER WOULD BE APPLIED TO THE WALL, AND WHILE THE FRESCO WAS STILL WET, OR FRESH, THE PIGMENTS WOULD BE PUT ON.  SINCE THE PIGMENTS WOULD ADHERE ONLY TO WET PLASTER, WHICH WOULD DRY IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, ONLY SMALL SECTIONS WERE APPLIED EVERY DAY.  ADD TO THIS THE FACT THAT THE PIGMENTS CHANGED COLORS AS THEY MELDED WITH THE PLASTER AND DRIED AND ONE BEGINS TO UNDERSTAND THE MASTER INVOLVED IN THIS TECHNIQUE.

                A MODERN VERSION, FINTO FRESCO, OR FAKE FRESCO, IS LESS LABOR-INTENSIVE.  LIKE TRUE FRESCO, IT USES PURE PIGMENTS, BUT THESE ARE MIXED WITH GRASSELLO DI CALCE, OR LIME PLASTER, TO GIVE A TEXTURE TO THE COLORS.  AS IN TRUE FRESCO, THE PIGMENTS REVEAL THEMSELVES ONLY ONCE THEY ARE DRY, BUT AT LEAST THE ARTIST CAN WORK ON A DRY WALL, WITH MORE FREEDOM, AND SKIP THE DAILY APPLICATION OF WET PLASTER.

                IF EVEN THIS METHOD IS TOO COMPLICATED, AN EASIER VERSION EXISTS THAT ALLOWS STILL GREATER FREEDOM.  IN THIS CASE, THE WALL IS PREPARED AND THE PLASTER LEFT TO DRY.  IT IS THEN SANDED DOWN TO GIVE IT A ROUGH SURFACE.  THE DESIGN IS APPLIED WITH EITHER ACRYLICS OR SIMPLE WALL PAINT.  YOU CAN DISTRESS THE WALL FURTHER, TO GIVE IT AN AGED LOOKS, BY ROUGHING UP THE SURFACE WITH SANDPAPER.  THERE ARE ALSO MANY PRODUCTS, SUCH AS GLAZES AND VARNISHES THAT CAN ADD A TRANSPARENT COAT OF COLOR TO AGE THE PAINTING FURTHER.

ALTHOUGH ITALIAN-STYLE WALL FINISHES OFTEN LOOK SIMPLY, ACHIEVING THEM ALMOST ALWAYS INVOLVES A HIGH LEVEL OF MASTERY AND PROFESSIONAL SKILL.  FINDING THE CORRECT MATERIALS AND APPLYING THEM WITH PROPER TECHNIQUE IS NOT EASY, AND THE BEST RESULTS COME FROM TRAINED ARTISANS.

                LUCKILY, TODAY THERE ARE MANY DECORATIVE PAINTERS HIGHLY SKILLED IN THIS CRAFT.  AN ARCHITECT, DESIGNER, OR GENERAL RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTOR WILL BE ABLE TO POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.  THERE ARE ALSO NATIONAL GROUPS, SUCH AS THE COLORADO-BASED PROFESSIONAL DECORATIVE PAINTERS ASSOCIATION, THAT OFFER A DIRECTORY OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP [FOUR OF WHOM AT THIS WRITING APPEAR TO RESIDE IN WASHINGTON STATE, AG].

                IN TERMS OF EXPENSE, THE MORE ELABORATE YOUR DESIGN, THE HIGHER YOUR COST.  A HIGHLY POLISHED STUCCO VENEZIANO CAN MEAN A SERIOUS INVESTMENT.  HOWEVER, MANY LIME-BASED FINISHES ON THE MARKET COST MUCH LESS (SEE RESOURCES, PAGE 221).

                ANY OF THE PAINTING TECHNIQUES DESCRIBED IN THIS CHAPTER CAN BE APPLIED TO THE SMOOTH [EMPHASIS ADDED] SURFACE OF DRYWALL, RATHER THAN A STONE WALL BASE, BUT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMETHING MISSING.  EVEN IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A STONE OR BRICK WALL BENEATH THE LAYER OF FRESCO IN AN ITALIAN HOME, THE VERY SUBTLE RIPPLING OF THE SURFACE IS ALWAYS PRESENT.  IF YOU ARE STARTING WITH A SMOOTH WALL, YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER ADDING A SLIGHTLY BUMPY, HAND-APPLIED LAYER OF PLASTER AT THE END TO SIMULATE THE CLASSIC LOOK. 

·        In regard to Tuscany home light (luminaires) in-style, particularly to include among preferential luminaires – indirect, Tuscany lantern, and post interiors and exteriors