Lioz (), also known as Royal Stone (''pedra real''), is a type of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, originating in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, from the

Lisbon region Lisbon Region ( pt, Região de Lisboa, ) is one of the seven NUTS II designated regions of Portugal, which coincides with the NUTS III subregion Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The region covers an area of 3001.95 km2 (the smallest region on main ...

. It is famed for its use as an

ornamental stone Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...

, resulting in its proliferation in palaces,

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

s, and important civic buildings throughout Portugal and the former

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the ...

. Owing to its historical relevance, lioz was designated a

Global Heritage Stone Resource The Global Heritage Stone Resource (GHSR) designation seeks international recognition of natural stone resources that have achieved widespread utilisation in human culture. Details of the “Global Heritage Stone Resource” proposal were first pr ...

Characteristics

Lioz stone contains

rudist Rudists are a group of extinct box-, tube- or ring-shaped marine heterodont bivalves belonging to the order Hippuritida that arose during the Late Jurassic and became so diverse during the Cretaceous that they were major reef-building organisms ...

fossils dating back 120 million years. Its color is generally ivory but varies from light grey to whitish and rosy. This type of limestone is used as a decorative construction material because of its fossiliferous composition. During the XVII–XVIII centuries lioz was widely used in churches, monuments and official buildings in

, as well as some Portuguese colonies ( Salvador,

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest b ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

), therefore, it was also called “royal stone”. Lioz stone has been designated by the International Union of Geological Sciences as a

.{{cite web , title=Designation of GHSR , url=http://globalheritagestone.com/other-projects/ghsr/designations/ , website=IUGS Subcommission: Heritage Stones , access-date=24 February 2019

Notable buildings

Monuments made of lioz include: Portugal: * Jeronimos Monastery *

Belém Tower Belém Tower ( pt, Torre de Belém, links=no, ), officially the Tower of Saint Vincent ( pt, Torre de São Vicente, links=no) is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portu ...

* Belém Cultural Centre * Rossio Station *

Mafra Palace The Palace of Mafra ( pt, Palácio de Mafra), also known as the Palace-Convent of Mafra and the Royal Building of Mafra (), is a monumental Baroque and Neoclassical palace-monastery located in Mafra, Portugal, some 28 kilometres from Lisbon. ...

Brazil: *

Cathedral of Salvador The Cathedral Basilica of Salvador (''Catedral Basílica de Salvador''), officially dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ and named ''Primatial Cathedral Basilica of the Transfiguration of the Lord'' is the seat of the Archbishop of the city ...

* Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

References

Limestone Architecture in Portugal geology building materials

Characteristics

Notable buildings

See also

References