Global Heritage Stones in Brazil

The Heritage Stone Subcommission was established by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in 2011 to designate stones of historical significance to compose the Global Heritage Stone Resource (GHSR). Nowadays, 22 of them have been designated as such; however, no Brazilian stone is listed as a GHSR. In the Brazilian territory, the following imported GHSR are observed in buildings and monuments: Lioz Stone and Estremoz Marble from Portugal, Carrara Marble and Rosa Beta Granite from Italy and Larvikite from Norway. The Portuguese colonisation at first and, later, economic cycles (rubber and coffee) were responsible for the use of stones from Portugal and Italy. Lioz Limestone predominated, mainly in some Brazilian coastal capitals, such as Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Belém. Estremoz Marble is found in tombstones and commercial buildings. Carrara Marble is very present in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and can also be seen in tomb art of Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Curitiba. Rosa Beta Granite can be found locally. The use of Larvikite is contemporary and mainly present in tombstones. In Brazil, there is a rich stone heritage, and due to its historical importance, these stones may be indicated as GHSRs in the future.