Il confine della casa medievale. Costruzione e ricostruzione dei muri secondo Statuti e documenti (Sardegna e Italia centrale, XIII-XIV secolo)

Marco Cadinu

2022-01-01

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Abstract

The boundaries of medieval houses. Wall construction and reconstruction according to statutes and documents (Sardinia and Central Italy, 13th to 14th centuries). In the best documented contexts, such as the cities of Sassari, Cagliari and Iglesias, statutes and other documentary sources provide descriptions that make it possible to define what it is necessary to know in order to correctly approach both building renovation projects and the appropriate preliminary analysis of elevations or foundations. Comparisons with contemporary documentation from other areas, similar to each other because of the homogeneity of their historical relationships, allow us to form hypotheses about more complex scenarios, even beyond the actual building forms that have survived to the present day. In particular, by comparing documentation and specific cases, it becomes possible to consider the timeframes or stages of construction of the urban house. We can also recognise architectural or systemic features, or building materials mentioned in statutory or regulatory documentation. With regard to boundary walls between neighbouring properties, which were subject to a greater regulatory focus, we recognise forms of wall elevations and ground positions, such as the model of its foundation, exclusive use or co-ownership arrangements, regulations for their vertical extension or reconstruction, and the elimination of windows in the event of their extension. Facades, which straddle the dividing line between public and private spaces, were also subject to building regulations. This represents a useful set of data for recognition in the field of structural details, and for drafting historical, urban planning, and stratigraphic analyses.