The remains of the water distribution system in use in Palermo until the early 20th century, are still visible in some streets. The castella dividicula that is a system of catchment and distribution basins. The castella dividicula included a system of urns, towers and castlets places to a piezometric level equal to the dimension of the source, exploiting the principle of connecting vases. The perpetuation of disuse and the intensification of construction activity has meant that many of these artifacts disappear, incorporated within buildings, courtyards, light wells or abandoned as ruins at the corner of a square or along a street. In the centuries they were considered secondary or minor constructions, especially the architecturally poorest, some just left architectural tracing, other memories only. Others still maintain intact the structure and the masonry. Many are modified from their original visus owing to the time wear and the structural metamorphosis, accomplished over the years. Still others despite having lost the original purpose, constitute structuring urban spaces architectural elements, becoming connotative elements for a square or a courtyard. From these considerations comes the study, conducted at the Department of architecture of the Polytechnic School of the University of Palermo. It is a journey through the time that drove us to rediscover a part of our history, of our past, of an ancient system and now forgotten but that fits fully into the urban fabric of the city. About the elements still present in the territory of Palermo, 101 are currently registered. The analysis conducted, supported by photographic and architectural reliefs and by information obtained in archives, libraries and sometimes by the inhabitants of urban areas visited, also allowed to study the technological evolution linked to these structures, both in the use of materials, both in construction techniques and formal expression. The work of census has resulted, inter alia, in a filing with the purpose of providing information about localization, fonts, type, structural analysis, the state of conservation of listed artifact and raise attention of public administrations on these isolated artifacts that can be defined monuments as documents of the history and culture of a country and of a civilization.

Le vestigia del sistema distributivo idrico in uso a Palermo fino agli inizi del ventesimo secolo, sono ancora oggi visibili in alcune vie cittadine. Sono i castella dividicula, ovvero bacini di raccolta e distribuzione idrica. I castella dividicula comprendevano un sistema di urne, torri e castelletti posti ad un livello piezometrico equivalente alla quota della sorgente, sfruttando il principio dei vasi comunicanti. Il perpetuarsi del disuso e l’intensificarsi dell’attività edificatoria ha fatto si che molti di questi manufatti scomparissero inglobati all’interno di fabbricati, cortili, pozzi luce, o abbandonati come ruderi all’angolo di una piazza o lungo una via. Considerate per secoli costruzioni secondarie o minori, soprattutto quelle architettonicamente più povere, di alcune ne rimane solo la traccia, di altri il ricordo. Altre mantengono ancora intatta la struttura ed il paramento murario. Molte risultano modificate rispetto al loro visus originario per l’usura del tempo e per le metamorfosi strutturali, compiute nel corso degli anni. Altre ancora pur avendo perso la loro funzione originaria, si configurano come elementi architettonici strutturanti gli spazi urbani, divenendo elementi caratterizzanti una piazza o un cortile. Da queste considerazioni nasce lo studio, condotto presso il Dipartimento di Architettura della Scuola Politecnica dell’Università di Palermo. E’ un viaggio attraverso il tempo che ci ha accompagnato alla riscoperta di una parte della nostra storia, del nostro passato, di un sistema antico e ormai dimenticato ma che si inserisce a pieno titolo nel tessuto urbano della città. Degli elementi ancora oggi presenti sul territorio palermitano, 101 sono quelli attualmente censiti. L’analisi condotta, supportata da rilievi fotografici e architettonici e da notizie apprese in archivi, biblioteche e talvolta dagli abitanti delle zone urbane visitate, ha permesso anche di studiare l’evoluzione tecnologica legata a tali strutture, sia nell’uso dei materiali, sia nelle tecniche costruttive e nell’espressione formale. L’opera di censimento si è concretizzata, tra l’altro, in una schedatura con lo scopo di fornire dati sulla localizzazione, i caratteri, la tipologia, l’analisi strutturale, lo stato di conservazione dei manufatti censiti e sensibilizzare l’attenzione delle pubbliche amministrazioni su questi beni isolati che possono essere definiti monumenti in quanto documenti della storia e della cultura di un Paese e di una civiltà.

FIRRONE, T. (2016). TOWERS, URNS AND CASTLETS. HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT SYSTEMS OF WATER SUPPLY AND CONVEYANCE IN PALERMO. SUSTAINABLE MEDITERRANEAN CONSTRUCTION(3), 58-65.

TOWERS, URNS AND CASTLETS. HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT SYSTEMS OF WATER SUPPLY AND CONVEYANCE IN PALERMO

FIRRONE, Tiziana Rosa Luciana
2016-01-01

Abstract

The remains of the water distribution system in use in Palermo until the early 20th century, are still visible in some streets. The castella dividicula that is a system of catchment and distribution basins. The castella dividicula included a system of urns, towers and castlets places to a piezometric level equal to the dimension of the source, exploiting the principle of connecting vases. The perpetuation of disuse and the intensification of construction activity has meant that many of these artifacts disappear, incorporated within buildings, courtyards, light wells or abandoned as ruins at the corner of a square or along a street. In the centuries they were considered secondary or minor constructions, especially the architecturally poorest, some just left architectural tracing, other memories only. Others still maintain intact the structure and the masonry. Many are modified from their original visus owing to the time wear and the structural metamorphosis, accomplished over the years. Still others despite having lost the original purpose, constitute structuring urban spaces architectural elements, becoming connotative elements for a square or a courtyard. From these considerations comes the study, conducted at the Department of architecture of the Polytechnic School of the University of Palermo. It is a journey through the time that drove us to rediscover a part of our history, of our past, of an ancient system and now forgotten but that fits fully into the urban fabric of the city. About the elements still present in the territory of Palermo, 101 are currently registered. The analysis conducted, supported by photographic and architectural reliefs and by information obtained in archives, libraries and sometimes by the inhabitants of urban areas visited, also allowed to study the technological evolution linked to these structures, both in the use of materials, both in construction techniques and formal expression. The work of census has resulted, inter alia, in a filing with the purpose of providing information about localization, fonts, type, structural analysis, the state of conservation of listed artifact and raise attention of public administrations on these isolated artifacts that can be defined monuments as documents of the history and culture of a country and of a civilization.
2016
Settore ICAR/12 - Tecnologia Dell'Architettura
FIRRONE, T. (2016). TOWERS, URNS AND CASTLETS. HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT SYSTEMS OF WATER SUPPLY AND CONVEYANCE IN PALERMO. SUSTAINABLE MEDITERRANEAN CONSTRUCTION(3), 58-65.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/201604
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