muratori

Muratori is the Italian term for masons or bricklayers, tradespeople who construct buildings with stone, brick, or concrete. They set foundations, lay bricks and blocks, mix and apply mortar, point joints, and perform finishing tasks on walls, arches, and structures. They work from plans and specifications, select materials, and ensure structural stability and weatherproofing. The work can involve new construction, renovation, restoration, and conservation of historic buildings, and it often requires physical fitness, arithmetic for measurements, and knowledge of safety regulations.

The word muratore derives from muro, meaning wall, with the agent suffix -atore, and muratori is the plural form for the profession. As a surname, Muratori means “the masons” and is found in Italy and among Italian communities abroad. Notable individuals with the surname include Lodovico Antonio Muratori (1672–1750), a prominent Italian historian and scholar whose work contributed to early modern Italian historiography. The Muratorian fragment, a late 2nd-century list of New Testament books, is named after him because he published the text in the 18th century, cementing its association with his edition.

Historically, masons formed skilled guilds in medieval and early modern Europe, with Italian city-states hosting organized groups of master builders who oversaw large-scale projects such as churches, palaces, and fortifications. In modern times, muratori continue as essential construction professionals, often regulated by trade unions or regulatory bodies, and trained through apprenticeships and vocational programs that emphasize safety, technical reading of plans, and bricklaying or stone-setting techniques.