The cosmatesque style takes its name from Cosma, son of Jacopo di Lorenzo and one of the members of the Cosmati family. The Cosmati were a family of Roman marble workers who, from the 12th to the 13th century, with their workshops, had numerous commissions for architectural and decorative work in ecclesiastical settings. The cosmatesque style refers specifically to ornamental marble decoration, used to decorate ciboriums, cloisters and, above all, floors. Of Byzantine origin, it was obtained by using marble inlays of different colours and shapes.
