Sicily’s archaeological heritage is recognised as among the richest in the whole of Italy, and does, in fact, provide important evidence of the employment of earth in the distant past, whereas the employment of earth in more recent architecture is rather unremarkable and, on the whole, of lesser significance when compared to other Italian Regions. Sicily provides a privileged field of observation, especially as it possesses numerous finds, dating back to periods ranging from pre-history to Roman times, and representing various building typologies, ranging from residential constructions and craftwork areas with accompanying fortified outbuildings to religious buildings and burial grounds. When looking at the building structures as a whole, one is struck by the fact that, both in the earliest examples and subsequent development, earth, along with other building materials, plays its part in a mixed technique, ranging from stone to vegetal, the employment of either depending on the extent of their availability on site. The earthen architectural heritage that Sicily has inherited from its rich past has still to be fully explored; there are a vast number of case-studies to be examined that are difficult to identify and scarcely heterogeneous as regards epoch and typology. The knowledge-base is rather fragmentary and scattered among various disciplines, with opportunities for comparison and shared commitment usually quite rare. The main aim of this investigation should be the consolidation of the aspect that is most lacking: knowledge that still to the present day remains fragmentary and un-structured.

Il patrimonio archeologico siciliano, notoriamente fra i più ricchi del territorio nazionale, fornisce importanti testimonianze degli impieghi remoti della terra cruda, mentre le architetture più recenti custodiscono forme di impiego poco appariscenti e meno note a confronto con altre Regioni italiane. La Sicilia offre un campo di osservazione privilegiato per gli impieghi antichi della terra cruda a fini costruttivi innanzitutto perché custodisce numerosi reperti, risalenti ad epoche che vanno dalla preistoria all’età romana e che sono riferibili a tipologie costruttive varie. La principale caratteristica che si può riscontrare, sia nelle più remote origini che nelle successive evoluzioni, è che la terra, guardando all’insieme dei manufatti edilizi, contribuisce ad una tecnica mista, in cui concorrono altri materiali costruttivi, da quelli lapidei a quelli vegetali, accomunati dall’immediata disponibilità nel sito. Il patrimonio architettonico in terra cruda che la Sicilia ha ereditato dal suo ricco passato costituisce ancora una realtà da indagare, con la consapevolezza che devono essere subito risolte alcune difficoltà: una casistica da esaminare vasta ma poco identificabile ed eterogenea per epoca e tipologia; una base conoscitiva frammentata in riferimenti ascrivibili a discipline differenti, tra cui sono abitualmente inconsuete le occasioni di confronto e sinergia. Obiettivo centrale di questa indagine dovrà derivare dal consolidamento dell’aspetto più lacunoso: una conoscenza che ad oggi rimane frammentata e non strutturata.

Germana', M.L. (2011). Earth in ancient Sicilian architecture / La terra cruda nelle costruzioni della Sicilia antica. In S. Mecca, S. Briccoli Bati, Forlani MC, M.L. Germana' (a cura di), Earth / Lands. Eathern Architecture of Southern Italy / Architetture in terra nell'Italia dellSud (pp. 166-188). Pisa : ETS.

Earth in ancient Sicilian architecture / La terra cruda nelle costruzioni della Sicilia antica

GERMANA', Maria Luisa
2011-01-01

Abstract

Sicily’s archaeological heritage is recognised as among the richest in the whole of Italy, and does, in fact, provide important evidence of the employment of earth in the distant past, whereas the employment of earth in more recent architecture is rather unremarkable and, on the whole, of lesser significance when compared to other Italian Regions. Sicily provides a privileged field of observation, especially as it possesses numerous finds, dating back to periods ranging from pre-history to Roman times, and representing various building typologies, ranging from residential constructions and craftwork areas with accompanying fortified outbuildings to religious buildings and burial grounds. When looking at the building structures as a whole, one is struck by the fact that, both in the earliest examples and subsequent development, earth, along with other building materials, plays its part in a mixed technique, ranging from stone to vegetal, the employment of either depending on the extent of their availability on site. The earthen architectural heritage that Sicily has inherited from its rich past has still to be fully explored; there are a vast number of case-studies to be examined that are difficult to identify and scarcely heterogeneous as regards epoch and typology. The knowledge-base is rather fragmentary and scattered among various disciplines, with opportunities for comparison and shared commitment usually quite rare. The main aim of this investigation should be the consolidation of the aspect that is most lacking: knowledge that still to the present day remains fragmentary and un-structured.
2011
Settore ICAR/12 - Tecnologia Dell'Architettura
Settore L-ANT/07 - Archeologia Classica
Germana', M.L. (2011). Earth in ancient Sicilian architecture / La terra cruda nelle costruzioni della Sicilia antica. In S. Mecca, S. Briccoli Bati, Forlani MC, M.L. Germana' (a cura di), Earth / Lands. Eathern Architecture of Southern Italy / Architetture in terra nell'Italia dellSud (pp. 166-188). Pisa : ETS.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/60244
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