The rough, textured plaster layer applied as an undercoat to walls before fresco painting.
Italian, from 'ricciuto' (curly, rough-textured). Medieval and Renaissance builders developed specific formulas for this layer, using coarse sand and lime to create the perfect grip surface.
The composition of arriccio reveals regional craft secrets—Florentine frescoes used different aggregate ratios than Roman ones, and X-ray analysis of Old Masters' work has let us read these recipes hidden under centuries of paint.
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