ABSTRACT
Mortar is a primary building material used to hold together stones or bricks. The components of the mortar (binder and aggregate) are considered separately, reporting the characteristics of binders produced in Lombardy as lime from calcareous stones quarried around the Prealpine lakes or lime from calcareous pebbles picked up along the river courses (Ticino, Adda, Oglio) and the characters of the aggregates. Other kinds of binder, such as hydraulic lime, gypsum and Portland cement, are described reporting the provenance of raw materials and their use in Lombardy. Finally, a classification of mortars is proposed according to their use, including plaster, stucco, bedding, flooring, etc.
