The search for alternatives to wood for the construction of floorings has led to in-depth study and experiments on vaulted structures, with interesting results regarding originality and diffusion throughout specific areas. We analyze Sicilian vaults, consisting of overlapping layers of thin tiles, bonded together with plaster (realine vaults, in the local language). This type of vaulting, already widely-documented in late-Medieval Mediterranean Spain, was probably introduced in Sicily at the end of the 15th century and was little known until the mid-eighteenth century. Direct analysis of the many examples of Sicilian vaults that are still visible is backed up by archive material relating to the major construction-sites and by official price-lists for Sicily. This has enabled the study to focus on identifying the basic building techniques and countless variations that the builders applied, which were considered ideal solutions for mitigation of earthquake damage, because of their lightness and a presumed monolithic structure. Timbrel vaults have been largely ignored in technical and cultural histories perhaps mainly because they have either been demolished or transformed into decorative ceilings. The precise and comparative knowledge of the many cases unearthed, in addition to the continuing building-work in other Mediterranean countries and the Americas, along with the partial and complete reconstructions in more recent years, all provide material for a comprehensive assessment of the potential and limitations, the real possibilities or opportunities for maintenance, rehabilitation or reconstruction.

La ricerca di alternative al legno per la realizzazione di orizzontamenti ha condotto ad approfondimenti e sperimentazioni sulle strutture voltate, con risultati di grande originalità in grado di coniugare economia e leggerezza senza perdere in sicurezza; vengono qui analizzate le volte siciliane costituite da più fogli di mattoni sottili uniti con gesso (volte realine secondo la definizione locale). Già ampiamente documentata nella Spagna tardo-medievale, la tecnica venne introdotta saltuariamente in Sicilia a partire dalla fine del XV secolo, ed assunse un ruolo importante dalla metà del XVIII. Attraverso l’analisi diretta e delle documentazioni relative ai maggiori cantieri e dai prezziari ufficiali nell’area siciliana, lo studio è finalizzato a riconoscere le tecniche costruttive e le tante varianti che i costruttori mettevano in atto, anche in rapporto alla leggerezza e la presunta monoliticità che avrebbero dovuto ridurre i danni in caso di terremoti. Ignorate dalla cultura tecnica ufficiale storica ed attuale, in molti casi le volte sottili in mattoni sono state demolite o trasformate in soffitti decorativi prescindendo dalla loro originaria funzione portante. La conoscenza puntuale e comparativa dei tanti casi ritrovati, confortata anche dalla continuità costruttiva in altri Paesi mediterranei e nelle Americhe, ma anche le ricostruzioni avvenute in questi anni, consentono di valutarne la qualità, le potenzialità ed i limiti, l’effettiva possibilità del mantenimento, della riabilitazione o della riproposizione.

Fatta, G., Campisi, T., Vinci, C. (2016). Timbrel vaults in Sicily: analysis of a little-known construction technique. CONSTRUCTION HISTORY, 31(2), 107-132.

Timbrel vaults in Sicily: analysis of a little-known construction technique

FATTA, Giovanni
;
CAMPISI, Tiziana
;
VINCI, Calogero
2016-01-01

Abstract

The search for alternatives to wood for the construction of floorings has led to in-depth study and experiments on vaulted structures, with interesting results regarding originality and diffusion throughout specific areas. We analyze Sicilian vaults, consisting of overlapping layers of thin tiles, bonded together with plaster (realine vaults, in the local language). This type of vaulting, already widely-documented in late-Medieval Mediterranean Spain, was probably introduced in Sicily at the end of the 15th century and was little known until the mid-eighteenth century. Direct analysis of the many examples of Sicilian vaults that are still visible is backed up by archive material relating to the major construction-sites and by official price-lists for Sicily. This has enabled the study to focus on identifying the basic building techniques and countless variations that the builders applied, which were considered ideal solutions for mitigation of earthquake damage, because of their lightness and a presumed monolithic structure. Timbrel vaults have been largely ignored in technical and cultural histories perhaps mainly because they have either been demolished or transformed into decorative ceilings. The precise and comparative knowledge of the many cases unearthed, in addition to the continuing building-work in other Mediterranean countries and the Americas, along with the partial and complete reconstructions in more recent years, all provide material for a comprehensive assessment of the potential and limitations, the real possibilities or opportunities for maintenance, rehabilitation or reconstruction.
2016
Settore ICAR/10 - Architettura Tecnica
Fatta, G., Campisi, T., Vinci, C. (2016). Timbrel vaults in Sicily: analysis of a little-known construction technique. CONSTRUCTION HISTORY, 31(2), 107-132.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/206776
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