In the evolution of historic architecture, constructions within the Neapolitan area took advantage, as usual, of the local materials which being of volcanic formation and characterized by peculiar physical and chemical characteristics conditioned architecture forms and techniques as well as the material development of the city shape. The tender and porous yellow tuff, that is the main stone prevalent in the geomorphology of the sites, is particularly suitable for constructions. Being easily extracted in situ, from cliffs and tuffed ridges of the hills and in the subsoil, the Neapolitan yellow tuff was the primary material for the arrangement of historic building masonry. Porous, lightweight, easily extracted through splitting, though unsuitable to be cut into geometric net blocks, it is in construction easily recomposed in a solid masonry mass thanks to the extraordinary local mortars of pozzolanic sand, and through the laying with simple bonding and the enchaining of the principal parts of the building, thus developing peculiar masonry arrangements, as the “a cantieri” stonework during the Early Modern (FIENGO ET AL. 1999 e 2008).The renovation of Castelnuovo, begun in 1443 by Alfonso d'Aragona just after his entry in Naples, and carried out through the interaction of Catalan masters and technicians from Cava, produced a fruitful contamination among architecture and building traditions, experimenting upon forms, techniques and materials.The imposing octagonal ribbed vault of the Sala dei Baroni Great Hall, with 8 secondary keystones and 4 additional keystones in the corner squinches-, is the largest gothic vault of this type (RABASA ET AL. 2012; PEREZ DE LOS RIOS 2016). The formal and building solution by Guillelm Sagrera was traditionally used within the Iberian area of the Crown of Aragon, and is here enriched by an oculus in place of the main keystone, while yellow tuff is used for the severies and piperno stone for the vault ribs voussoirs.The piperno stone is chosen among the local lithotypes as a substitute for the Santanyí stone, which is here used for significant elements, in already worked pieces imported from Mallorca (FILANGIERI 1934, 1937; MOUNTANER BUJOSA 1960): blocks at the springers of diagonal ribs and trincerons, as well as the keystones. Furthermore, in order to meet the new defensive needs, the hard piperno stone, worked to hinder assaults, is used as cladding of the softer tuff masonry surface.The experience of the Castelnuovo triggered the spreading of a stone masonry culture within the areas of the Crown of Aragon, with the techniques of the tracing, the cutting and the construction of vaults in stone blocks. This gave then rise within different geographic areas to specific and amazing local characters in Renaissance architecture (NOBILE 2013).In the Neapolitan area the Catalan masters and the technicians from Cava, activated the systematic exploitation of the piperno stone quarry at the foot of the Camaldoli Hill, and put into practice the cutting of complex shapes for structural elements and claddings. The mastery of the piperno cutting formed the “pipernieri”, expert in carving, cutting and putting in place arches, pillars and balustrades for stairs and courtyards, as well as claddings of various forms such as bases, stoneworks, mouldings of architectural orders, that is the opus affictum which marks the fronts of palaces and churches of the Neapolitan Renaissance Architecture.Conversely, the Catalan culture of stone-cutting did not affect the local development of vaulted structures, which saw the predominance of barrel vaults and domes, and this can be explained in reference to the characteristics of the local materials, as instead happened in other regions of Southern Italy, that saw the hybridization of stone vaults referred to the Castelnuovo model.Starting from critical considerations that intertwine quality and specificity of the local stones, the study focuses on reading in concrete cases the ways in which local materials have found expression in the material forms of Neapolitan architecture of Renaissance, thus emphasizing its identity and character.
Nello sviluppo dell’architettura storica, l’edilizia di area napoletana ha usufruito, come di consueto, dei materiali locali, e in particolare del tenero e poroso tufo giallo, la pietra vulcanica dominante nella geomorfologia dei luoghi, che ha qualità particolarmente favorevoli in edilizia. Facilmente cavabile in sito, dalle falesie e dalle creste tufacee delle colline e dai banchi nel sottosuolo, allettato con le straordinarie malte locali in sabbia pozzolanica, il tufo giallo è stato il materiale primario per il confezionamento delle murature dell’edilizia storica. La ristrutturazione di Castelnuovo, avviata nel 1443 da Alfonso d’Aragona appena dopo il suo ingresso a Napoli, indusse, per soddisfare le nuove esigenze difensive, al rivestimento delle tenere cortine tufacee con una pietra resistente, e lavorata per ostacolare l’assalto. Le maestranze catalane, esperte nell’arte della stereotomia, in collaborazione con i locali tecnici cavesi, attivarono lo sfruttamento sistematico delle cave del più duro piperno nelle vicinanze, al piede della collina dei Camaldoli, e ne misero in pratica il taglio in conci nelle forme complesse delle cortine delle torri e degli elementi dell’architettura di Castelnuovo. L’esperienza del cantiere di Castelnuovo innescò la diffusione sul territorio del regno di una cultura del taglio della pietra e della costruzione in conci squadrati, cultura che ha dato luogo nelle diverse aree geografiche del regno a specifici e sorprendenti caratteri locali nell’architettura del Rinascimento (NOBILE 2013).In area napoletana i magisteri del taglio del piperno formarono i pipernieri, a fornire, cavare, tagliare e mettere in opera gli elementi architettonici nella granulosa pietra grigia del piperno che caratterizzano l’architettura rinascimentale. Nello sviluppo locale delle volte in pietra da taglio, invece, a differenza di altre regioni del sud Italia, quali la Sicilia e la Puglia, che hanno visto l’ibridazione di sistemi voltati in pietra tagliata riferiti al modello della volta stellata della Sala dei Baroni in Castelnuovo, si assiste a una predominanza di volte a botte e cupole nei sistemi murari voltati dell’architettura rinascimentale del napoletano, che può spiegarsi in riferimento alle caratteristiche dei materiali locali. Partendo da considerazioni critiche che intrecciano qualità e specificità delle rocce locali applicate alla costruzione muraria con le forme e le tecniche del cantiere di Castelnuovo, lo studio si sofferma a leggere in casi concreti i modi in cui i materiali locali hanno poi trovato espressione nelle forme materiali dell’architettura napoletana del Rinascimento e, in tal modo, ne sottolinea identità e carattere.
Identità materiale nell’architettura del Rinascimento napoletano
COMO, Maria Teresa
2020-01-01
Abstract
In the evolution of historic architecture, constructions within the Neapolitan area took advantage, as usual, of the local materials which being of volcanic formation and characterized by peculiar physical and chemical characteristics conditioned architecture forms and techniques as well as the material development of the city shape. The tender and porous yellow tuff, that is the main stone prevalent in the geomorphology of the sites, is particularly suitable for constructions. Being easily extracted in situ, from cliffs and tuffed ridges of the hills and in the subsoil, the Neapolitan yellow tuff was the primary material for the arrangement of historic building masonry. Porous, lightweight, easily extracted through splitting, though unsuitable to be cut into geometric net blocks, it is in construction easily recomposed in a solid masonry mass thanks to the extraordinary local mortars of pozzolanic sand, and through the laying with simple bonding and the enchaining of the principal parts of the building, thus developing peculiar masonry arrangements, as the “a cantieri” stonework during the Early Modern (FIENGO ET AL. 1999 e 2008).The renovation of Castelnuovo, begun in 1443 by Alfonso d'Aragona just after his entry in Naples, and carried out through the interaction of Catalan masters and technicians from Cava, produced a fruitful contamination among architecture and building traditions, experimenting upon forms, techniques and materials.The imposing octagonal ribbed vault of the Sala dei Baroni Great Hall, with 8 secondary keystones and 4 additional keystones in the corner squinches-, is the largest gothic vault of this type (RABASA ET AL. 2012; PEREZ DE LOS RIOS 2016). The formal and building solution by Guillelm Sagrera was traditionally used within the Iberian area of the Crown of Aragon, and is here enriched by an oculus in place of the main keystone, while yellow tuff is used for the severies and piperno stone for the vault ribs voussoirs.The piperno stone is chosen among the local lithotypes as a substitute for the Santanyí stone, which is here used for significant elements, in already worked pieces imported from Mallorca (FILANGIERI 1934, 1937; MOUNTANER BUJOSA 1960): blocks at the springers of diagonal ribs and trincerons, as well as the keystones. Furthermore, in order to meet the new defensive needs, the hard piperno stone, worked to hinder assaults, is used as cladding of the softer tuff masonry surface.The experience of the Castelnuovo triggered the spreading of a stone masonry culture within the areas of the Crown of Aragon, with the techniques of the tracing, the cutting and the construction of vaults in stone blocks. This gave then rise within different geographic areas to specific and amazing local characters in Renaissance architecture (NOBILE 2013).In the Neapolitan area the Catalan masters and the technicians from Cava, activated the systematic exploitation of the piperno stone quarry at the foot of the Camaldoli Hill, and put into practice the cutting of complex shapes for structural elements and claddings. The mastery of the piperno cutting formed the “pipernieri”, expert in carving, cutting and putting in place arches, pillars and balustrades for stairs and courtyards, as well as claddings of various forms such as bases, stoneworks, mouldings of architectural orders, that is the opus affictum which marks the fronts of palaces and churches of the Neapolitan Renaissance Architecture.Conversely, the Catalan culture of stone-cutting did not affect the local development of vaulted structures, which saw the predominance of barrel vaults and domes, and this can be explained in reference to the characteristics of the local materials, as instead happened in other regions of Southern Italy, that saw the hybridization of stone vaults referred to the Castelnuovo model.Starting from critical considerations that intertwine quality and specificity of the local stones, the study focuses on reading in concrete cases the ways in which local materials have found expression in the material forms of Neapolitan architecture of Renaissance, thus emphasizing its identity and character.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
