ABSTRACT
The variety of biodeterioration phenomena affecting our cultural heritage is determined by several factors, such as the chemical composition and nature of the material itself, and also the climate and exposure of the object. A well-known biodeterioration phenomenon, widely observed on monuments located in central and south Europe, is the rosy discoloration affecting diverse materials, mainly stone, wall paintings, building and also burial-related materials located in subterranean and non-subterranean environments. The affected monuments are exposed to different climatic conditions and diverse UV irradiations, but, as a common denominator, all of them have constructional problems that enable water infiltrations. The migration of water, mainly through the walls, produces further crystallization of salts on the surfaces leading to the formation of saline environments that offer optimal growth conditions for halophilic microorganisms. This study offers a review of the microbiota associated with well-investigated monuments affected by the rosy discoloration phenomenon and reveals intriguing similarities among the microbiota detected on the different studied locations.
