While looking at my photos of Siena's Il Campo area, I noticed that the City Hall/Tower was full of small holes (each one 2 or 3 bricks wide). There are hundreds of places where bricks are missing on the facade, in a semi-regular grid pattern. Would anyone know the reason for these holes? Decoration?
Posted by
Chicago, Illinois, USA
586 posts
Defense? For arrows? Or for sight? Or perhaps to let light in? How about air? Just guesses. I noticed them, too.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
Every time I go, I like to bring home a souvenir brick. I didn't think anyone would notice.
Just kidding. I really have no idea but noticed it too. I thought it was just a decorative pattern since most walls are more than one brick thick.
Posted by
Beervana, Oregon
65 posts
Original scaffolding attachment points.
Posted by
Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
606 posts
"Original scaffolding attachment points."
A German would have filled in the missing bricks from the top down as the scaffolding was removed at the end of the project.
An Italian would say, why bother. Let them be wondering about this in 2008!
Posted by
Chicago, Illinois, USA
586 posts
Patrick's sure got that right!
Posted by
Denver, CO, USA
135 posts
In Volterra, there's plenty of the same appering "holes". The answer in Volterra was that at one time, timbers were inserted into those holes, and wooden extensions to the buildings projected out above the street. Remember that the populations of these towns, during medieval times, were in some cases triple what they are now- they needed all the extra space they could acquire.