Misplaced Pages

Ferro (architecture)

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Item of functional wrought-iron work in a façade

Ferro da facciata
Ferro in Piazza del Duomo, Florence
MaterialWrought iron

A ferro (plural ferri) or ferro da facciata is an item of functional wrought-iron work on the façade of an Italian building. Ferri are a common feature of Medieval and Renaissance architecture in Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria. They are of three main types: ferri da cavallo have a ring for tethering horses, and are set at about 1.5 metres from the ground; holders for standards and torches are placed higher on the façade and on the corners of the building; arpioni have a cup-shaped hook or hooks to support cloth for shade or to be dried, and are set near balconies.

In Florence, ferri da cavallo and arpioni were often made to resemble the head of a lion, the symbolic marzocco of the Republic of Florence. Later, cats, dragons, horses and fantastic animals were also represented.

  • Standard-holder, Rome Standard-holder, Rome
  • Standard-holder, Borgo San Lorenzo Standard-holder, Borgo San Lorenzo
  • Arpione, Palazzo degli Altoviti, Florence Arpione, Palazzo degli Altoviti, Florence
  • Torch-holder, Via de' Giraldi, Florence Torch-holder, Via de' Giraldi, Florence

References

  1. (2001). Bisol: tra arte e tecnologia (in Italian). Il Ferro Battuto 18 (unpaginated). Accessed October 2015.
  2. ^ ( 26 September 2014). Gatti, cavalli e draghi sui muri di Firenze (in Italian). Nove da Firenze. Accessed October 2015.
  3. John Superti (20 June 2013). Invisible horses: Rediscovering Florence's ferri. The Florentine (186/2014). Accessed October 2015.

Further reading

Category: