Historical investigation on the use of mansonry pointing in Italy

Pointing is a finishing used in facing masonry walls with the aim of avoiding rain penetration into masonry fram mortar joints; this is one of the principal causes of the different surface decays. This study ofthe different pointing methods app]ied during the historie periods in Ita]y was strict]y connected to an investigation on the mortar jointing (or repointing). Changes occurred during the centuries of the pointing techno]ogies can on]y be understood after a historie research and a specific investigation on the different compositions of the mortar mixture used for pointing of the facing masonry walls. The historical and experimenta] research on pointing was carried out within a EC contract and had the following aims: l. to establish the historical periods when pointing was used in Ttaly; 2. to detect the pointing typologies recognising the historica] period when they were praposed for the first time; 3. to collect information on mortars, on their execution techniques and on the used too]s. The paper will stress the importance of the historica] research when dea]ing with a correct conservation of facing walls of historie buildings.