Cosmas
Who supposedly came to Rome from Byzantium, is thought to be the source of this style of marble flooring, which is called Cosmati work. The first church pavement done in this particular technique is considered to be the Abbey at Montecassino, which was rebuilt at the end of the 11th century under the patronage of the Abbot Desiderius, who brought marble workers from Constantinople. In this style, mosaics, made from small pieces of stone and colored glass set into a paste, alternate with strips of marble laid in contrasting colors to provide a rich overall design. The original Cosmati work at Montecassino does not exist today. (Palmer, 2008)