Stone-masonry new constructions: Science and history in the service of beauty and environmen

Stone-masonry constructions never disappeared from the horizons of architecture, even if the relationship between stone and architecture has been definitely loosened by Modern Movement. For the most part, it is survived in minor architectures, local or vernacular; however, some international architects have expressed their creativity within the classical stone language, also in very recent times. Moreover, the more recent technological innovation of the reinforced stone by post-tensioned steel cables has produced structures and structural elements of unusual slenderness, proving that stone can be fruitfully used in large architectures. Scientific research has never stopped within the field of masonry mechanics, for it has been deeply involved in conservation and restoration of the cultural heritage and so it is ready to help the renaissance of stone architecture.