The history of terrazzo tiles: Part II
Marble grit floor tiles were first seen at the end of the 19th century in parallel with the invention of cement, used as a binder for the chips obtained from crushing the most varied types of marble (hence the vast range of colours that characterise the production of marble grit floor tiles) to form the mixture subsequently pressed into moulds.
“Pastina”, on the other hand, may be defined the progenitor of marble grit floor tiles, given the vast number of 19th and early 20th century buildings and houses with this type of flooring. It is characterised by much finer grinding of the marble than for marble chip and by subsequent mixing with hydraulic binders and natural oxides.
Design-wise, stylistically and aesthetically, marble grit floor tiles were undoubtedly inspired by the magnificent Venetian mosaic floors that were entirely made in situ and still today adorn the most beautiful villas in Italy (just think of the Palladian villas). So much so that, in the most simplistic way, marble grit floor tiles may be considered a kind of “prefabricated” Venetian mosaic floor.
Adornments were instrumental to enhancing marble grit floors. Greek fretwork, edging and rugs embellished the plain backgrounds.
These decorations, which are now classics, sprang up in the early decades of the 20th century and still today are divided into “geometrical” and “floral” patterns following the two dominating cultural trends of the time: Art Nouveau (1910-1920), in Italy better known as “floral”, and futurist (1930-1940) leaning towards movements and geometries.
