L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 15 L'Italo-Americano L a P i a z z a , I t a l i a n s ' s e c o n d h o m e wh e r e h i s t o r y a n d architecture combine Piazza della Signoria, Piazza del Plebiscito, Piazza Navona, Piazza San Marco: listing few among the most famous piazze in Italy w ould be enough to understand the deep meaning of a place that most Italians consi- der like home. In fact, the piaz- z a i s m a i n l y a s e c o n d h o m e where - besides ages, genders, social classes - everybody is welcomed and feels comforta- ble. Called the 'salotto a cielo aperto' of a city or town, this "open air living room" allow people to speak aloud while, s i t t i n g o n t h e g r o u n d , t h e y enjoy to talk, think, read, or just look around. The idea of the piazza was introduced in Italy in the Middle Ages, usual- ly as a square of the Cathedral or a space in front of the head- quarters of a civil authority. While these two aspects diffe- rentiated their use and architec- ture, sometimes the two types merged in the arcades on the church sides while the square d e v e l o p e d a c c o r d i n g t o a n urban purpose. Together with these two types, a third model f o r t h e p i a z z a a l s o e x i s t e d : when the market opened in the area, it became a place where people used to gather, in an established day, to buy the best products from local farmers. But, when did the Italian piazza become the core of the town, as w e k n o w t o d a y ? A s s o o n a s Bernini started working on the m o s t s t u n n i n g a r c h i t e c t u r a l masterpiece in history, Saint Peter Square, the idea of piazza changed. The principle was to combine circles and to form an e l l i p s e , w h i c h r e m i n d e d t h e a n t i q u e c o l o s s e u m , a n d t h e square was the result of diffe- rent individual contributions and a collective construction. Since it may be impossible t o g o t h r o u g h t h o u s a n d s o f historical Italian piazze, as well as it would be not fair to distin- g u i s h t h e m w i t h a s c a l e o f values, we will go through a few of them, as beautiful and u n i q u e a s t h e m o s t f a m o u s ones. Piazza Maggiore, Bologna Founded as "platea commu- n i s " w h e r e p e o p l e g a t h e r e d during the daily market, it is c o n s i d e r e d o n e o f t h e m o s t relevant urban projects in the Middle Ages. Today's piazza is the result of several alterations: built to establish a physical and a symbolic core, it still has the same function, with local resi- d e n t s u s i n g t h e s t a t u e o f Neptune, one of the city's sym- bol, as meeting point. Piazza Maggiore is surrounded by the most important buildings of the medieval city, like the Palazzo del Podestà, from 1200s, and the Palazzo Re Enzo. Piazza Duomo, Lecce One of the major attractions of the city, it was built in 1144, and rebuilt in 1230. Once resto- r e d i n t h e y e a r s 1 6 5 9 - 7 0 , SERENA PERFETTO Giuseppe Zimbalo also built the 70 m-high bell tower. The baroque style characterizes the atrium leading to the entrance of the Cathedral, the seminary a n d t h e P a l a z z o V e s c o v i l e . Unlike most piazzas we find around Italy, Piazza Duomo is enclosed on three sides with a narrow, north side entrance off the main street. The side view o f t h e D u o m o , a l s o b y Zimballo, is a triumphal arch completed in honour of Saint Orontius. Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa The piazza is not located in the center of the city, as usual, but placed in the north-west of the fortified wall, almost out of town. According to experts, since the Etruscans' era, three structures in the piazza were considered important to reli- g i o u s l i f e , s y m b o l i z i n g t h e main stages of a human's life: the Baptistry represents birth, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta life and the graveyard, o f c o u r s e , a l l u d e s t o d e a t h . While the square took form in 1064 with the creation of the Cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, the cathedral s y m b o l i z e s t h e m a x i m u m e x p r e s s i o n o f P i s a n Romanesque, also influenced by the Arab world. Piazza del Popolo, Ascoli Piceno. Seen as the best example of elegance, harmony, and propor- tion, the architecture and the portico design, as well as the stunning paving and the per- spective are the main elements of the piazza, surrounded by elegant Renaissance-style buil- dings bearing lively colonnades and decorations. It is still the most vibrant place of this town in the Marche region, domina- ted by the Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo, with a 13th century t o w e r a n d a m a s s i v e p o r t a l dating from 1546. Piazzas in Italy are mostly connected to the mild climate o f t h e M e d i t e r r a n e a n a n d w o u l d b e u n t h i n k a b l e i n a country too hot or too cold. Nevertheless, what did and still make them unique in the Italian c o n t e x t i s t h e i r h i s t o r y a n d their architecture, whose study allows to understand not only their urban function, but also their social and religious pur- poses which have been kept over time. Piazza dei Miracoli - Pisa Piazza Maggiore - Bologna Piazza Duomo - Lecce

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