I casalini e il progetto della citta medievale

Casalini and the design of the medieval city This paper will discuss a smaller scale architectural element, the “casalino”, which was quite present in notarial documentation and in the statutes of medieval cities. For a time indicated as “dwelling” or buildable urban space, this type appears in numerous local variations both in relation to its physical and legal status as well as with different formulas and denominations, recorded over a period ranging from the Middle Ages until the early modern period. It is therefore indicated as a built element in less documented contexts and takes on secondary meanings, distant from the original concept linked to an architectural or urban project. Casalini, often found in acts or regulations issued by municipal or ecclesiastical authorities, seem to be inalienable assets connected to important acts of urban foundation or the planned and designed expansion of an existing settlement. Their mere presence in a city or a street constitutes evidence of some urbanizing or populating act. Their particular location, but also the conditions of the use of their perimeter walls, leads to the study of the medieval dwelling form which was originally legally separated from its building lot, and potentially temporary and removable. The meaning of casalino is therefore close to that of units and cadastral particle. Simple dwellings are precious and “monumental” elements insofar as they are indispensable components in the construction of urban space. They are consequently enriched with additional values that bear witness to their role in relation to the periods of formation of streets and towns