STONEMASONRY

Nature is not the only force that has been shaping the karst stone. Since ancient times, people have been learning the art of stonemasonry. From the Neolithic on, stone was the main building material in the Karst and people soon started using it for decorative purposes, as well. Even today, one finds stone ornaments on karst houses. The architectural heritage of stone houses is without a doubt the most representative part of the karst cultural heritage.

Even in prehistoric times, people from the Karst used stone to protect entrances into caves in which they lived. In the Neolithic, people used stones to build forts, whose ruins can still be seen at many karst hills. When the Romans arrived at the karst region, the export of karst stone began. The Romans appreciated the quality of karst marble so much that they used it in the construction of Aquileia. It was also exported to Ravenna, where it was used for construction and as material for decorative purposes. Remnants of Roman stonemasonry can still be seen in the Roman quarry in Aurisina (Nabrežina). In antique times, this quarry was valued for the quality of its stone, but also due to its closeness to the Adriatic Sea. Both factors influenced the marketing of the stone they dug out.

In the Karst, the art of stonemasonry has never disappeared, not even in the Middle Ages. It gained additional importance during the construction of the Southern Railway, which connected the Karst and Aurisina (Nabrežina) with Trieste and Vienna. In that period, industrial stonemasonry developed. Even today, the karst marble is listed in historical typologies of marble.