Apennines Architecture

A friend recently loaned me a fantastic book  about the rural architecture of the Apennine area of the province of Reggio Emilia. It lists and describes the small architectural treasures of almost every hamlet in the area. Whilst wandering around the area I now see these seemingly uninteresting places in a new light.

Here are some photos of some of these villages ( borghi in Italian ) that I have visited in my lunch break or at the weekend. The buildings date mostly from the fifteenth to seventeenth century.

The first photos are of Casalina which  has two “Case Torre” each with an unusual seventeenth century dove coup. The  first house has a bread oven on the corner and a nice "Loggia"



Casalini Canossa RE



Ceredolo dei Coppi is a couple of kilometres from Casalina. As well as an imposing  “Casa Torre”, one can see several round stones “bugna” often with carved faces set into the walls of several buildings. These were good luck charms, a pagan hangover.



Ceredolo dei Coppi, Canossa RE



Bugna, Ceredolo dei Coppi

Ceredolo dei Coppi

Romagnano is near Carpineti RE. It has in particular a house with carved stones set into the walls and some nice decorated windows.

Romagnano, Carpineti. RE

Romagnano, Carpineti. RE

Romagnano, Carpineti. RE

Romagnano, Carpineti. RE

Romagnano, Carpineti. RE

Poiago and Borago near Romagnano each have a distictive "casa torre".

 

Poiago, Carpineti, RE



Borago, Carpineti,RE

Scalucchia is a characteristic medieval “borgo” set on a spur high above the Tassobbio valley.

Scalucchia, Vetto,RE



Scalucchia, Vetto,RE



Coat of Arms 1567, Scalucchia, Vetto,RE



Scalucchia, Vetto,RE

Near Scalucchia is Casa Castellaro a huge "Casa Torre" that dominates the Tassobbio valley from above.

Casa Castellaro, Vetto. RE

Casa Castellaro, Vetto. RE with good luck charm over the door "Bugna"

Monchio di Sarzano is an imposing walled “Corte” with two towers and a loggia to found near Casina. It was built in the sixteenth century.

Monchio di Sarzano, Casina, RE

Montale di Sopra and Montale di Sotto, Casina are two small hamlets one above the other.

Each has its own "Casa Torre"



Montale di Sotto, Casina RE with the castle of Leguigno in the background.



Montale di Sopra, Casina RE

 Villa, Casina a small hamlet were several odd architectural elements have been recuperated and incorporated into the buildings

Villa, Casina, RE

Villa,Casina,RE



Lezzolo near Paullo, Casina. An interesting “Casa Torre” from the seventeenth century

Lezzolo, Casina,RE

Lezzolo, Casina,RE

Lezzolo, Casina,RE

Cotogno, Casina  with its isolated Dove Coup on a hill above the main settlement.



Cotogno, Casina,RE

 

Inside looking up, Cotogno, Casina,RE


Bergogno,Sordiglio and Cavandola, three fine tower houses all within sight of each other.

Bergogno, Casina,RE

Bergogno, Casina,RE

Sordiglio,Casina,RE



Sordiglio,Casina,RE



Cavandola,Canossa,RE

Cavandola,Canossa,RE

 San Polo d' Enza, five minutes from where I work. I came across this tower and the “Pieve” whilst killing time at midday.

I went back to the Pieve when the light was “right” to try and capture the sad atmosphere of the place.

San Polo d' Enza, RE

Pieve. San Polo d' Enza, RE

Pieve. San Polo d' Enza, RE

Pieve. San Polo d' Enza, RE

 

Pieve. San Polo d' Enza, RE



Pieve. San Polo d' Enza, RE

 

Pieve. San Polo d' Enza, RE



Taking these photographs has been/is an interesting challenge – Cramped spaces, light, shadow, and mostly the trappings of modern life and kitsch restructuring  that destroy the atmosphere of these places.

A cheap second hand 28mm Perspective control lens has been valuable, although the same results can almost be had with Warping in DLC's "PictureWindow 5".

Pantano, Carpineti, RE



Pineto,Vetto,RE.
Composite photo in a 3m x 3m room