A Walking Guide to the Architecture of Civita di Bagnoregio ITALY

Transcription

1 A Wlking Guie to the Architecture of Civit i Bgnoregio ITALY This wlking guie to Civit n rtwork were crete by The Civit Institute s 2014 Astr Zrin fellowship recipient Stephnie Bower of Settle, WA USA. For more imges of this project, go to Specil thnks to Architect Tony Cost-Heywoo n The Civit Institute/NIAUSI for their support. A free ownlo of this wlking guie is vilble t Copyright Stephnie Bower 2016 All rights reserve. The Civit Institute/NIAUSI is non-profit orgniztion bse in Settle, WA USA whose mission focuses on inspiring n promoting esign excellence through euction n culturl exchnge between the Unite Sttes n Itly. The Civit Institute opertes resiency fcility for Fellows n members in this ncient hill town. For more informtion plese go to Over 2500 yers go, Civit i Bgnoregio ws n importnt, thriving town sitting top simple rock outcroping surroune by fiels. Inste of steep cliffs, ros connecte to other towns in ll irections. Over time, the soft soil roun Civit hs eroe or fllen into the vlley below. You cn see evience of the lyers--the eposit of volcnic tufo stone of which the town is built over the crumbly fossil-fille ocenic sn n gry cly, most evient in the clnchi riges to the est. The rivers to the north n south, together with history of erthqukes n lnslies, hve left the town isolte n surroune by eep vlleys... n isln in the clous. Wht you see toy in Civit hs been built n rebuilt over the centuries, so it s chllenging to etermine exctly when builings were constructe. The originl settlement is probbly pre-etruscn, becoming thriving Etruscn town roun BC, then Romn settlement 300BC-300AD. Some experts believe Civit becme Christin town s erly s 69AD. Most of the builings stning now were originlly constructe uring the Mile Ages AD, with the current church structure n bell tower likely built roun 600AD. Meievl Civit ws probbly wlle city otte with towers, most fllen or tken own ue to erthquke risk. The thick wll bses of the towers re still evient in pln. In 1140, Civit becme free commune, leing to n er of prosperity. Renissnce Civit in the 1500 s sw perio of welth n prestige when severl plzzi or plces were built by noble fmilies long the town s min street. In 1695, series of ctstrophic erthqukes estroye much of Civit, resulting in stey ecline in popultion n importnce ever since. The set of government n ctherl were move to Bgnoregio. By WWII, mny of the builings were in ruins. Slowly being rebuilt since the 1960 s when it ws inhbite by roun 80 locl frmers n their fmilies, Civit is finlly seeing very recent resurgence. There re currently roun 9 yer-roun resients, 4 of them originl Civitonici. Other houses n grens re owne n occupie s weeken n summer resiences. Wner the town s streets n lern bout its mzing history, support its shops n cfes, iscover Civit s brethtking views n ncient tresures... Port Snt Mri, the entrnce to Civit. How to pronounce the nme like locl? It s SHEE-vee-th ee Bhnyo-rehj-oh

2 A Wlking Guie to the Architecture of Civit i Bgnoregio 2 Rio Chiro Rio Turbio 1 Ponte or brige to Civit, the current structure ws built in A msonry brige built in 1926 ws mge in WWII, n before tht ws ln brige. Until yers go, onkeys were the primry mens of trnsport. Look for the stone rings or nnelle n benches roun town, use to tie up n mount the onkeys. 2 Ruins of Plzzo Jnni, once the home of n ncient, illustrious fmily incluing Sint Bernro Jnni 700AD. Thnks to the lte Professor Astr Zrin n her University of Wshington stuents for their reserch Current or former Tower Cve, pubic ccess Former Communl Oven 3 Vi Civi, the only bit of street tht remins of wht ws once the Brige Qurter. Here stoo Snt Vittori Church, monstery, hospitl n orphnge. This ro once le own to the town s chestnut groves below. 4 Port Snt Mri, nerly 3000 yers ol, this ws the portl to the ncient cropolis. The originl gte is just insie, the two interior rches with little or no mortr n the crve pssgewy re ncient Etruscn. In the 1550 s Renissnce, the entrnce fce ws renovte n long bench e using stone from the church. This work ws comissione by British Crinl-Governor Pole, his egle emblem sits top the fce s meievlstyle rch. The two lions grsping humn hes serve s reminer of successful bttle ginst espotic fmilies. The stone egle n lions re believe to be meievl, relocte to this fce in the Renissnce. The gte is nme for the chpel eicte to the Virgin Mry tht ws once on the upper floor until the 1500 s when it becme prt of the Colesnti resience. Civit t one time h t lest four gtes into town, only this one still stns. Look for the hinges where oors once close the gte n the crosses crve into the stone wlls by Christin pilgrims. 5 Ancient Gur House crve into the stone, lter stble, now smll shop. 6 Vi Snt Mri ell Port, Civit s min street once connecte to other towns n tes bck roun 3000 yers to the pre-etruscns. Etruscn town lyout ws bse on circle with mjor est/west Decumnus n north/south Cro ros. Where they intersecte ws the forum, now the Pizz Sn Donto n the town meeting plce for 3 milleni. Pst the town squre, the street nme chnges to Vi ell Provvienz or Vi Port ell Mestà.

3 A Wlking Guie to the Architecture of Civit i Bgnoregio Vi Sn Bonventur, my be wht is left of the Etruscn Cro, or northsouth ro. Note the rche remnnts of house. Aroun the Pizz Sn Donto: 7 Pizz Sn Pietro (Colesnti) ws once thriving mrketplce just insie the min gte, clle by locls Pizz Colesnti for Civit s olest noble fmily who built plzzo here. In the 1500 s Renissnce, welthy fmilies built plces or plzzi roun this squre n long the min street, Vi ell Mestà. Tller n lrger in scle thn the meievl houses, look for the curve projecting cornice t the roof, the gry loclly-qurrie bsltin stone frmes roun the winows, n the remnnts of stucco tht once covere their exterior stone wlls. Aroun Pizz Sn Pietro (Colesnti): 8 Plzzo Colesnti. Note the openings to the sky where complete plzzo once stoo. Fin the Colesnti fmily cot of rms with two spers n three strs. 9 Plzzo Cristofori, built in the 1500 s Renissnce. 10 Stone ruins of former grn house owne by the church, now housing the communl Lvneri or clothes wshing sinks ting to fter WWII when wter ws finlly pipe into the town. Public toilets re here too. Left to Right: Pizz Sn Pietro, Plzzo Cristofori, Plzzo Colesnti, Port Snt Mri, shop with profferlo stirs 13 Plque noting the loction of wht ws the House of Sn Bonventur, Civit s most fmous son. It collpse into the vlley uring the 1695 erthqukes n lnslies. The son of octor, Bonventur ws born Giovnni Finz in Legen sys tht s chil, he ws mirculously hele from illness when his mother prye to St. Frncis in the cve tht cn still be foun just below the Belveere cross the brige in Merctello. From then on, he ws clle Bonventur or Goo Fortune. Bonventur entere the Frnciscn monestry in Merctello t the bse of the Civit brige (lost in lnslies) n lter stuie n tught in Frnce t the Sorbonne where he becme friens with Thoms Aquins. Bonventur ws well-known n importnt figure in the Ctholic church, consiere the secon founer of the Frnciscn Orer n is still honore toy s the Ptron Sint of Bgnoregio. He ws lso mentione in Dnte s Divine Comey, Cnto XII el Priso. 15 Plzzo Arcngeli ws built uring the Rennissnce. The long bench outsie is constructe from the ogee moling remove when the ctherl ws renovte in the 1500 s. It s the sme stone etiling s bn on the bell tower. Note the fmily nme inscribe in Ltin over the winows. Monsignor Nicol Arcngeli ( ) serve six popes. 16 Plzzo Mzzocchi-Alemnni ws built in the 1550 s n is the lrgest plzzo in Civit. Note the nme of the fmily crve in Ltin into the stone top the winows. Its grn spces now house the Museo Geologico or Geology Museum n the town br or enotec. Insie the enotec is nice exmple of typicl bsltin stone fireplce. At the corner cfe, fin lrge oven use for communl bking, one of severl in town. Visit the Etruscn cve in the groun floor shop. 17 Meievl Butcher Shop, ws once the bse of tower. Fish were sol on the stone slb outsie the oor, look for the frgment of n ncient grnite column unerneth. 18 Plzzo Comunle, the former municipl builing, ws privte resience purchse in 1448 to be the set of locl government. After the 1695 erthqukes, the government set ws move to Bgnoregio. Note the ppl cot of rms over the oor with the te 1455, lso the profferlo, n outsie stircse typicl of meievl houses in the Viterbo region. Left to Right: Former Priest s House, Chies Sn Donto n Cmpenile, Plzzo Arcngeli, Plzzo Mzzochi-Alemnni, Plzzo Communle 11 Port Mestà, once tower note by its thick, squre bse, belonge to the Bocc fmily. This is where the Crcere or prison istrict of Civit begn, the loctions of n ncient convent of the Clriss n Church of Snt Clr, now lost. 12 This re ws lso prt of Pizz Sn Pietro, nme for the smll St. Peter s Church tht once stoo here, estroye in the 1695 erthqukes.

4 A Wlking Guie to the Architecture of Civit i Bgnoregio Forno i Agnese resturnt nme for the lrge privte oven once here, use communlly. 24 e 20 Former Priest s House, the slnte bse ws e here n in other loctions in town in the 1950 s. 21 Extensive cliff stbiliztion work is being one in this re, informtion is on isply t the Geology Museum. civit-i-bgnoregio.html 23 Pizz Vescovo c b Former Lw Courts & Meievl Jil below, note the iron brs on the winow. 23 Pizz el Vescovo (formerly Pizz Episcopio) were church grens n cemetery, together with the 24 former Bishop s House until 1699, now privte home n vst gren Pizz Sn Donto 14 It is believe tht Longobri King Desiero, hele by bthing in locl wters, renme the re of Ro to Blneum Regis or royl bths, now Bgnoregio Pizz Sn Donto hs been the primry meeting plce n symbolic town center for nerly 3000 yers. Once n Etruscn then Romn forum, it is locte t the uspicious intersection of importnt Etruscn ros, the est-west Decmnus n the north-south Cro. As prt of the Etruscn religion, there ws once well in the pizz tht connecte the living city with the city of the fterlife. The remnnts of columns in front of the chies were probbly once prt of Romn temple, me of grnite likely brought from Egypt. Twice yer, the tritionl Tonn or onkey rce is hel in the town squre on the first Suny in June n in mi- September Cmpnile, or Bell Tower, is Romnesque, probbly built roun AD. Bells ring every qurter hour, longer ringing of bells t 7m n 7pm once signlle the strt n en of the work y to the frmers in the vlley. At one time, it ws forbien to wlk the streets fter the evening bells rng. Note the Etruscn rough-crve gry bsltin stone incorporte into the bse n the projecting white mrble Romn corbels (nother pir re foun insie the church). Similr ncient rchitecturl remnnts cn be foun built into wlls n benches throughout town. See how mny you cn fin! Chies Sn Donto ws built on the site of wht ws probbly 600BC Etruscn n then Romn temple. The church is nme for Sint Donto of Arezzo, who ws nme bishop in the mi-300 s, then lter persecute n mrtyre. The current structure is Romnesque in pln n ws probbly built by the Longobri or Lombrs from the north roun 600AD. In 1511, Bishop Ferinn of Cstille from Spin (look for the cstle symbols insie) comissione rennovtion to reflect the new Renissnce style of the perio. On the fce, the three entrnces te to roun The center oor ws commissione by Bishop Mercurio Viper, the sie entrnces were commisse by Cnon Anre DePomo. Note their nmes inscribe over the oors. High bove in the tringulr tympnum is smll cermic sttue of Sn Donto from 1535, flnke by two ngels. Once ctherl, it ws emote to church when the Bishop s set ws move to sfer loction in Bgnoregio in 1699 fter the lrge 1695 erthqukes.

5 A Wlking Guie to the Architecture of Civit i Bgnoregio 5 b e c Highlights of the interior inclue, the bsins for holy wter, crete from ncient rchitecturl relics b 1674 hnging pinting epicting Sint Bonventur n the erliest known imge of Civit c frescoes, prticulrly of Snt Mri Libertrice, Monn of the Erthquke, which ws covere until the plster fell from the wlls in the erthquke of 1695 (left) relics of Romn mrtyr Snt Vittori, once the ptron sint of Bgnoregio who ws stbbe to eth in 251AD, n (right) Sint Hilebrn, Bishop n ntive of Bgnoregio who becme the ptron sint upon his eth in 873AD e Per woo Crucifix tes to the 1400 s, from the School of Dontello. It is crrie to Bgnoregio on Goo Friy ech yer in n evening procession. Visit the church store which sells goo, smll book on the church s history. There is lots of ebte on the origin of the crve stone frgments set into the Chies s exterior south-sie wll, 28 White mrble or trvertine, probbly meievl. The plnt growing here prouces cper berries. Gry triglyph n metope, possibly from Romn temple frieze White trvertine limestone, probbly meievl 29 Vi el Buccone, smll street. Note the projecting, communl oven. 30 Cippo Romno, Romn grvestone with inscription in Ltin. Other cippi hve been incorporte into houses n grens in town. The oor in the hlf-rch ws once north-south ro, now privte gren n house. 31 Niche with Monn plque, moern. 32 Hlf wll with crve Romn stone pieces, possibly from srcophgus. The rche opening t the en of the street is from the 1950 s. 33 Plzzo Contino, the corner ws once tower, unerneth re very eep cves. Note the pinte ceiling insie one of the winows (if it s open). 34 Alm Civit, elegnt resturnt where you cn ine in n Etruscn grott. The lowest grott is cool wine cellr. The tiny kitchen ws once the bse of tower, note the true meievl pointe rch on the right bove the kitchen oor. 35 NIAUSI/The Civit Institute fcilities, Settle, WA USA bse non-profit hs helpe with the restortion of builings in Civit n house rchitecture stuents from the University of Wshington for eces. The Civit Institute sens fellowship recipients ech yer to conuct reserch n cretive stuies in Civit, of which this wlking guie is one project! The groun unerneth Civit is honeycombe with grotte or cves crve into the soft tufo stone upon which n of which the town is built. Some of the cves re believe to be yers ol Etruscn in origin, but mny hve been moifie n expne over the centuries, with the Romns, for exmple, using cves for cisterns to collect wter. The grotte run uner mny houses n grens two n three levels below the street n were probbly primrily use s olive oil n wine storge. Tempertures in the bottom-most cves sty constnt 14c egrees/ 54F egrees. Woo csks were rolle own the scenibotte, steep stirs with nrrow rmps on either sie. Look for the metl ring t the top of some of the stirs, use with rope to lower n rise the csks. Some believe the cves my lso hve been ncient tombs, however Etruscns usully burrie their ecese outsie of their towns. Cves for storge or cntine ner street level often house nimls in winter. Some cves open out to the cliffsie n were crve with smll niches use s ovecotes. Pigeons were use for foo uring Meievl n Renissnce ers.

6 A Wlking Guie to the Architecture of Civit i Bgnoregio 6 Elements of Typicl Civit House The structure is locl tufo stone wlls with lrge woo bems, some 500 yers ol, from the chestnut trees below town. Oler stone wlls re me from squre stone with tight joints, while rebuilt newer wlls hve more rnom stone with more mortr. At street level, upper oor le to living qurters, lower oor le to storge n nimls in winter. An exterior stone ring or nello on upper floors ws use to bring hy to the top floor for storge in winter, to fee nimls n insulte the house from the col. The lower stone rings or nelle tht you see were use to tie up the onkeys tht were use for trnsport. Note the nello is often ner stone bench for esier mounting n ismounting. Thick stone wlls llow winow openings tht re wier insie to mximise sunlight. Lrge fireplces were use for cooking n wrmth in winter. Look for smll winow set into the bck of the fireplce to provie light while cooking or working, visible from the outsie below chimneys. Along the bcks of houses re orchrs or orte, use to grow herbs, fruits n vegetbles--in Civit, it s like continer grening! 36 Antic Civits, smll Museum in Etruscn cves with ncient olive oil press, Romn cistern, frm equipment, n gret views to the Clnchi. During the 1930 s fmily live in the cves below the house. 37 Antico Frntoio, bruschetteri in cve where you cn view 500 yer ol olive oil press n frming tools. The very ol oven on the outsie ws use by severl fmilies for cooking. In front is the well he of n ncient cistern tht collecte rin wter. It is crve out of tufo n line with cly to be wterproof. 38 Girino ell Poet, gren with rmtic views where monestry once stoo. 39 This ncient ro once continue on to other towns. Shllow cves crve below into the cliffs were use s stbles until few yers go. The thir cve, probbly once n Etruscn tomb, is the Cpell el Crcere, Chpel of the Incrcerte housing n imge of the Monn n Chil. In Meievl times, it ws jil. 40 Etruscn tunnel crosses uner the entire town from south to the north, proviing ccess to fiels, the chestnut tree groves, n the Rio Chiro below town. It ws wiene in the 1930 s. During WWII, the tunnel serve s bomb shelter. 41 Vlle ei Clnchi (kh-lhng-kee), vlley of rmtic, steep eroe remnnts of wht were once level frming fiels, compose of loose, wethere sn n cly. This re ws once the floor of prehistoric ocen. Enjoy Civit i Bgnoregio! Arriveerci! Copyright Stephnie Bower 2016