We’d noticed that in other places some ceilings had chip marks in the soft sandstone from the process of chipping off paint. Star vaulted ceilingsĪfter buying the property we set about uncovering these amazing ceilings. We didn’t know what condition it would be in under the paint but were excited about the prospect of finding out. As we had seen an exposed stone ceiling in a local café, we realised that underneath there would be blocks of sandstone (called tufi locally). The cellar room (Cantina) had a barrel ceiling which,like the other ceilings, was covered in layers of paint and surface mould. But on the inside, the ceilings of the masseria were high and vaulted, in the shape of a four-pointed star. From the outside most Puglian properties appear to look quite boxey, with flat roofs. When we viewed the masseria in Puglia we were amazed by the ceilings. Knowing how to negotiate for your Italian property might just mean you can afford that property with beautiful ceilings! Read our free guide: How to Negotiate Abroad. It added a character feature to the rear of the house which we used as an outside dining area. Once it was finished, it looked like it could have been there for hundreds of years. Then we replaced all the underneath tiles with new ones, these being the part that acted as guttering for rain water. These would be the visible ones so we wanted them to look weathered and original. The tiles were the old over-and-under type, and we were able to salvage enough of them to use as “overs”. For this one we were able to do it ourselves, reusing most of the timbers and tiles. The second roof we had to do was for a loggia. The tiles roofs of a mountain village in Italy Recycling tiles A team of six men completed the roof including timbers and tiles in just five days. The builders pumped concrete in from a cement mixer with an extending arm. Metal rods also went through the roof timbers. It’s like putting a belt on to control the wobble in case of earthquake. Then we had a 20cm concrete sill put on top with metal rods running through it to brace the tops of the walls together. Not easy when the house is in a small village with narrow streets only just wide enough for a car. That’s an awful lot of rubble to take away before you start. Because of height restrictions of buildings, the top part of the metre-thick stone walls had to be removed, along with the old roof. They explained how the tops of the walls would have to be earthquake-proofed first before they put the new roof on. The first house we renovated was a tall stone building in the centre of a village, so we got in a local team of roofers for advice. We had experience of replacing timber-framed tiled roofs before. You can’t go too far wrong with the word for “ceiling” which is “Soffitto”, as “Soffitta” is attic. A slight slip in your pronunciation, like adding and “a” at the end instead of an “o”, can lead to some very embarrassing conversations. I should point out at this stage that the word for roof in Italian is “tetto” and roofs is “tetti”. It’s what makes cities like Florence and Bologna look so amazing from the air. Typically, they will also have timber framed roofs with red roof tiles, just how you would imagine a roman tiled roof to look. Italy has many charming houses built with thick limestone walls and they can be found across most regions. Find homes in Italy via our property portal. Especially when you discover they lead to a room with a breath-taking ceiling. It’s so exciting when you find old wooden doors or an arch that has been covered by layers of paint. We’ve found old wooden barrels and large green glass bottles for wine making and hooks in the ceilings where cheese, tomatoes or meat were hung. We just love finding an old stone house that has been unlived in for years and discovering character features and bits and pieces left behind by the previous owner, that tell a story of its history. I used to do Google image searches for “character stone houses for sale” and would see lots of beautiful limestone farmhouses in Italy, similar to the home we already had. ![]() ![]() Italians craft the most beautiful ceilings and roofs in the world. It wasn’t a style we had seen before,so we decided that once our house was sold we would head straight down to Puglia to take a look. What we found so intriguing was the crenellations on the roof. We’d just finished renovating our stone farmhouse when we spotted two tiny photos on the internet of a farmhouse (masserie) for sale in Puglia. Just look upwards at the amazing roofs and ceilings of Italian character properties. ![]() In their more every day residences too, Italian builders take pride in a well-crafted rafter and a nice bit of slate. From the dome of the Pantheon to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the trulli of Puglia to the terracotta roofs of Florence, Italians craft the most beautiful ceilings and roofs in the world.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |