Considered to be an Old World building material, stucco is attractive, durable, and weather-resistant. Traditionally, it has been used as both an interior and exterior finish, in which it’s applied in one or two thin layers directly over a solid brick, masonry, or stone surface.
Stucco has also been utilized in sculptures and art throughout the centuries. Many ancient cultures used stucco in their architectural designs. Examples of these cultures include the Ancient Egyptian, Minoan, and Etruscan civilizations. Ancient Persian and Mesopotamian art held a widespread tradition of ornamental and figurative internal stucco reliefs, which later then extended into Islamic art.
Ancient Rome’s art of the late Republic to the early Empire used stucco extensively for the decoration of their vaults. Although marble was typically the preferred medium for the creation of sculptures, stucco was a better material for vaults because it was lighter and more flexible to adapt to the curvature of the ceiling.
Baroque and Rococo architecture both heavily utilize stucco in their structures. This can be observed in churches and palaces that were built in those eras, where stucco was mostly used to provide a smooth, attractive transition from walls to ceiling, decorating and giving measure to ceiling surfaces. Stucco is an integral part of the art of belcomposto, the Baroque concept that integrates the three classic arts: painting, architecture, and sculpture.