What is Sustainability?
According to Wikipedia's definition "Sustainability is the capacity to endure."
Thanks to wonders of modern technology you can step into some of the oldest and greatest buildings in the world and take a virtual tour of their architectural details.
Take a look at the interior of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Italy at the following link http://budurl.com/4ptn
The frescoed works of Michelangelo, Botticelli, Bernini and Raphael, some of the greatest Renaissance artists, are on display on the walls and the famed ceiling of the Chapel after a controversial restoration in 1984. However, left click your mouse to scroll downward and look at the marble flooring. This is a pattern of natural stone inlays done in the Cosmatesque style, taken from the Cosmati family name, the leading marble craftsmen in Rome through the 12th and 13th centuries. Built between 1473 and 1481, the first mass in the Sistine Chapel was celebrated on August 9, 1483. Talk about sustainability. Over 500 years of service and it is said that the stone used by the cosmati artists were salvaged material from the ruins of ancient Roman buildings. Sustainable natural stone flooring at its best.
If you are interested in touring some other great architectural works with sustainable marble flooring take a look at St Peters Basilica and the Pantheon via the links below. Click on the virtual tour arrow and go to fullscreen then move your mouse pointer down to view the flooring.
St. Peters Basilica
Vatican City
http://budurl.com/7n3t
The PantheonRome, Italy
http://budurl.com/8nhq
Please let me know if you have any stories or other building references for sustainable natural stone.
