Travertine

Travertine might be more accurately called the "rock of leisure." Besides temples and numerous monuments, this finely polished calcareous stone was the de facto building block for the most lavish bathhouses and amphitheaters, including the notorious Coliseum in Roman society. But more pragmatic motives were not missing as it helped to forge a new trail of engineering innovation by playing an integral role with the elevated aqueducts in forming ancient society in Italy. Mirrored from its source at the base of mineral springs, the blended pair of black, tan and cream-colored vividly rich colors would have welcomed visual wonder as it decorated these impregnable monuments. The longitudinal striations and pitted appearance quickly identify this sedimentary rock.