''Opus albarium'' is the Latin name for a refined type of
plaster
Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
work used in the interiors of houses, consisting of a special
stucco incorporating marble dust, then beaten compact with rammers: the technique is described by
Vitruvius
Vitruvius (; c. 80–70 BC – after c. 15 BC) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work entitled '' De architectura''. He originated the idea that all buildings should have three attribut ...
VII.3.4-11.
Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...
states
''R.R.'' I.59.2 that such wall coatings make buildings cooler.
Roman construction techniques
Plastering
Wallcoverings
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