Travertine, Natural construction materials and stones, Kazakhstan

Earlier travertine was used only for basic racks and the base which bore on themselves loading. In several centuries travertine was already used in private structures independently. Travertine was easily cut, seldom collapsed, had pleasant color, was steady against bad weather and the fires. Ancient Greeks seldom used this material because of granularity, and in a consequence travertine became a sign of Romance architecture.

Travertine was used in construction of bridges, city gate, amphitheaters and baths.

Travertine was considered as prestigious material, trimmed with it imperial constructions: for example, the theater of Marcello which Caesar began to build and finished August. It was one of the biggest theaters in ancient Rome calculated on 15000 places.

Travertine in many respects determined style of Romance architecture by the properties and structure: columns turned entirely as porosity did not allow to process a stone differently. It seemed that structures from travertine had slightly as if an unfinished appearance. Such form defined style of structures: Colosseum, Andrian's country house. After completion of construction of the Colosseum, travertine use almost stopped: more pathos constructions became fashionable, travertine was not suitable for this purpose. In the middle of the second millennium pontiffs decided to build buildings, similar to ancient.

Travertine was stolen from old buildings and transferred to new. The majority of the known architectural monuments was made of travertine too (the Santa Maria church of del Popolo, a frontal facade of San Pietro in Montorio, church of San Marco). In 1475 according to instructions of the Father Sikst IV First Bridge built by Romans in Rome was trimmed by travertine. For San Pietro's basilica in Vatican the huge amount of travertine from this field began to be delivered. Later the new Caprine and Fosse fields were found. Piazza del Popolo, church of Saints Luka and Martin, San-Carlino facade at four fountains of the architect of Francesco Borromini. It is possible to list infinitely those places where travertine was used.