Hungarian red marble, Buda marl
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Thick, red limestone from the Lias period. Since it is not crystalised, it is not marble in the geological sense of the word, but it was called so already in the Middle Ages. As it was firm, easy to carve and polish, and very similar to the purple-coloured porphyry - the imperial colour and stone in antiquity - it was a very popular material. Mines where this red marble was found were opened only at the end of the 12th century in the Gerecse mountain (Süttő, Tardos), west of Esztergom. The stone was used to decorate the most representative parts of buildings, such as portals, decorative floors, thrones, and tombstones. From the 13th century on, the Gerecse red marble and carvings made of it were transported all over the whole country. In the early 16th century it was also imported to Poland.
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Buda marl
A kind of material which was transformed into stone under a very high pressure. Its usual colour is yellowish-grey, but its iron content occasionally made it resemble red marble. It easily splits into layers, and is easy to carve and polish. It was mined near Buda. During the reign of Wladislas II Italian stone cutters discovered its favourable qualities, and it became one of the most popular materials of the Hungarian Renaissance in the Jagello period.
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