The Roman Ashlar Groin Vault at Grotta dei Massacci
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The Roman Ashlar Groin Vault at Grotta dei Massacci José Calvo‑López1 · Giulia Piccinin2 · Pau Natividad‑Vivó1 · Alessio Bortot2
© Kim Williams Books, Turin 2020
Abstract Some authors have downplayed the importance of complex vaulted systems in ashlar in Roman architecture. This has led them to seek the origins of Early Modern stonecutting in Christian Syria or Languedocian Romanesque. However, some examples in many regions of the Empire, including Lazio, argue for the existence of advanced stonecutting techniques in the Roman world. In this paper, we will study an interesting example of these structures, the Grotta dei Massacci in Osteria Nuova, now in the municipality of Frasso Sabino. Starting with a precise survey carried out by 3D laser scanning and automated photogrammetry, we will put forward some hypotheses about its measurement system, proportion, stonecutting technique and the hoisting systems used in its execution. Keywords Roman architecture · Measure · Stonecutting · Stereotomy · Proportion · Hoisting
* José Calvo‑López [email protected] Giulia Piccinin [email protected] Pau Natividad‑Vivó [email protected] Alessio Bortot [email protected] 1
Departamento de Arquitectura y Tecnología de la Edificación, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Cl Real, 3, 30201 Cartagena, Spain
2
Dipartimento di Culture del progetto (DCP), Università Iuav di Venezia, Ponte Novo de Santa Marta, 2196, 30173 Dorsoduro, Venezia, Italy
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J. Calvo‑López et al.
Introduction Are There Complex Vaulting Systems in Ashlar in the Roman World? Research on horizontal structure systems in Roman architecture has focused on two well-known paradigms: on the one hand, the wooden, linear, partially triangulated structures used in temples; on the other hand, concrete vaults built using lime and pozzolana concrete. Vaults built in ashlar, although predating the pozzolana concrete technique, have received comparatively little attention (see Adam 2011: 205–210, as an exception). This state of affairs has influenced studies about Medieval stonecutting and Early Modern stereotomy. When dealing with the hypotheses about the origin of modern stereotomy, Jean-Marie Pérouse de Montclos (2001: 181) mentioned examples from Antiquity near the city of Rome, Southern France, Syria and Armenia, forgetting the rest of Italy, even including Lazio, Spain, Palestine and Anatolia. Sakarovitch (1998: 105–107) considered Christian Syria no less than the birthplace of learned architecture in ashlar. Detailed study of Roman vaulting in ashlar may offer interesting data about this partially neglected technique. However, the catalogue of Roman ashlar vaults is not uniform: there are spiral vaults in the Mausoleum of Hadrian, groin vaults in Pergamon and the lower chamber of the Mausoleum of Theodoric, hemispherical vaults and arches opened in curved walls in the Mausoleum of Ummidia Quadratilla in Cassino (see Piccinin and Natividad 2020). This suggests that progress in this area will be made by means of specific case studie
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