traditional buildings in umbria.meetingitcegliemessapica

7/29/2019 Traditional Buildings in Umbria.meetingITCeglieMessapica

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3T Traditions Through Time

2012-1 GR1-GRU06-10483-3

Traditional buildings in UmbriaCeglie Messapica 4/8 Sept 2013

Mara Quadraccia - Unitre of Amelia, Terni - Italy


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Umbria, the green heart of Italy, is a land of low mountains,gentle hills and small plains crossed by rivers and streams.


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The extended presence of natural waters is

limited to Lake Trasimeno and Lake Piedilucowhile the astonishing man-made Marmore

Waterfalls can be considered the first

hydraulic work and tallest man-made

waterfalls in the world with its 165 meters

height.


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In 271 BC, the Roman consul Manlius

Curius Dentatus made a canal (the

Curiano Trench) to divert the Velino

river stagnant waters from the above

plain into the natural cliff at Marmoreso the water fell into the Nera river

below.


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The natural beauty of the scenary

has been an unforgettable

attraction for visitors especially

during the Grand Tour: Goethe,

Corot, Handerson celebratedtheir impressions and Lord Byron

wrote a poem The roar of

waters! From the headlong height

Velino cleavers the wave-worn

precipice. The fall of waters!

Valnerina, John Smith, 1780


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Water has been a source of natural energy to drive the mills

for grinding cereals or olives along the streams and tributaries

of the main rivers and to support the essential and traditional

production of flour and oil.


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A typical example is the mill of Molanoce, anold water-mill set in a 12th century building, a

stone and wood structure dating back to the

late Roman period.

The place-name "Molanoce" indicates the

place where, in the Middle Ages, walnuts were

crushed to produce oil for votive lamps.

From the 17th century onward it became a

water-mill for grinding grain, spelt and maize.


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Water has also provided

the first hydroelectric

power as for the Plant of

Galleto, north of Terni.

Inaugurated in 1929 it

was built to provide

electricity to the steel

factory.


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But the typical landscape in

Umbria is characterized by

medieval villages that lay onRoman or pre-Roman

foundations.

Castles with their walls,fortresses with the towers for

defense are to be found very

often as a former protection of

valleys as in the Tiber valley that

used to form a natural border.


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Alviano castle, for example, combines both the

function of residence and defense: four towers at

each corner and an elegant courtyard inside.


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At the same the Benedictine and the Franciscan orders have

spread the architecture of convents built on the hill slopesamong the woods. There the monks not only took care of the

souls but also provided food for the populations often

threatened by invasions and raids: the buildings are then

provided not only as places where to pray but also with specific

rooms where to produce wine, store oil or process food.


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As it was int he Roman times traditional buildings have been

made of local stones,bricks and mortar and roofs have been

covered with wooden beams and tiles.

Romanesque churches have brought forward the building

technique of the ancient Romans: instead of sculptures

of heroes and decorative frescoes the interiors were painted

with religious subjects and the characters of the new

pantheon of Christianity.


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In the small Umbrian cities, still

proud of their former municipal

independence, the medieval

tower houses which rivalled inheight have been then used as

a basis for the Renaissance

palaces belonging to the most

outstanding noble families.


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The rivalry was then expressed with the

large dimension of the builidings, usually

3 floors with a basement of a former

Roman domus; and inside the

astonishing decorations of the ceilings

with frescoes celebrating the glories of

the attained nobility (Palazzo Petrignani,

Amelia).


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Palazzo Farrattini and Palazzo Venturelli in

Amelia, wonderful examples of Renaissance

palaces on Roman foundations, preserve the

remains of Roman buildings with mosaic in

their basements.

On the first floor a big hall with cotto floor is

frescoed with virtues, coat of arms and scenes

celebrating the families.


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Umbria is as region of stones and bricks, where

the buidlings can vary in color according to the

local area so pink stone in Assisi and grey stone in

the south.

Rural architecture, with the traditional farm

houses scatterd all over the countryside and on

the hills, have made our region charming and

attractive for those who enjoy living in contact

with nature.


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The casale, a building of two floors, was made of stone and malta, with

timber roof and tiles and cotto floors.

The ground floor was for the animals ,with two or three stables; the first floor

had a big kitchen with only a fireplace for heating and cooking and a sink

with no running water, then two smalll bedrooms and no toilet!! .

Once inhabited by the peasants, who lived on the poor resources of

agriculture and animal rearing, these buildings have been finely refurbished

and trasformed into elegant "casali " where today tourists can findgood accomodation and tasty food.


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Traditional buidings in Umbria, Unitre Amelia

Ceglie Messapica, September 2013

THANK YOU by

MARA, SARA

and

THE UNITRE OF AMELIA GROUP!!

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