The behaviour to weathering of the hyblean limestone in the baroque architecture of the Val di Noto (SE Sicily): an experimental study on the “calcare a lumachella” stone

This work focuses on the study of the ‘‘calcare a lumachella’’ stone (Mt. Carrubba Fm.), a carbonate rockwidely used as building and decorative material in the Baroque architecture of the Val di Noto (southeasternSicily). Among all types of limestone outcropping in the area, this lithotype shows higherresistance to weathering. In such a context, the main goal of this study is to correlate the mineralogical–petrographic and physical-mechanical features of the ‘‘calcare a lumachella’’ stone with its excellentresponse to weathering. For such a purpose, all obtained data were also compared with those from literatureconcerning other local limestones whose behaviour with respect to weathering is rather different.