During the Italian Renaissance, stucco was used again as an architectural complement, along with paint, following the trends originated by archaeological discoveries. A large number of techniques were perfected and later spread throughout Europe. White stucco was used extensively on church walls, sometimes to paint figures of angels.

Raphael and other artists of the time used colored stucco friezes to decorate palaces and pavilions. Among the most relevant are the reliefs by Francesco Primaticcio (1533�1565) for the castle of Fontainebleau, near Paris.