Amonite fossils - Sant Ignazio Cathedral - Roma - Italy
N 41° 53.945 E 012° 28.787
33T E 290944 N 4641643
Amonite fossils inside Sant Ignazio Cathedral - Roma - Italy
Waymark Code: WMXP3V
Location: Lazio, Italy
Date Posted: 02/06/2018
Views: 13
Sant Ignazio Cathedral is a large Roman Catholic titular church of deaconry rank, which is dedicated to Ignatius of Loyola. The church was built during 1625 and 1650 in Baroque style.
The facade is made of limestone-travertine which is one of Romes most used building materials. Inside of the church you can see many stone patterns of different colours. Most of them consist of marble or Lapis Lazuli.
The Marble
Marble is a non-foilated metamophoric rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals (commonly calcite of dolomite). Geologists use the term „marble“ to refer to metamorphosed limestone.
Marble is a rock which results of metamorphism of sedimentary carbonate rocks, most commonly dolomite or limestone. Metamorphism causes recrystallization of the original carbonate minerals. The formed marble rock is composed of an interlocking mosaic of carbonate crystals.
Sedimentary structures and textures oft he original carbonate rock have been destroyed or modified. Pure withe limestone is caused by metamorphism with a very silicate-poor limestone or dolomite protolith. The typical swirls of many coloured varieties of marble are a result of mineral impurities (such as clay, silt, iron oxides). They were originally present as layers of the limestone with silica-impurities.
In the cathedral you can see many different colours of marble and if you take a very close look at them you can notice fossils like ammonites for example.
The Fossils
Fossils areevidences or prehistoric life, but there are two different types oft hem. There are indirect evidences and direct ones. Shells, corals, skeletons are called direct ones and footprints etc. are called indirect.
Fossils form when animals die and their body stays at a very good place lika a swamp or the ground of the sea. More and more layers settle down and the body sinks deeper and deeper. The pressure inreases and premineralization happens. Permineralization is a process of fossilization in which mineral deposits form internal casts of organisms.
The other type of fossils are original prints of shells or something else. This happens when the shell-house for example is surrounded by sediments which develope to hard rocks. Most common fossil animals are :Shells, Ammonites, Corals, Red-Algae, Skeletons.
What kinds of fossils are found here:
Beautiful amonite fossils
Admission Fee: no
Link for more information about this site: Not listed
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