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Rural architecture

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LAVA GROTTOS OF SIMETO, THE CALANNA ROCK, TO ETNA FEET, BRONTE'S FORESTS, "U PAGGHIARU", THE SCIARA, THE ETNA

"U Pagghiaru"

Rural architecture

A solid, simple and unitary studio flat

The most primitive example of rural architecture that is found in the country areas of the north-east side of Etna (Bronte, Maletto and Randazzo) is a typical construction in dry masonry made of lava stones with a dome-shaped conic roof (“u pagghiaru”).
The construction is present with some odd exemplary.
Is a primitive form of rural building typical of the zone and was used as a refuge that could hold a maximum of ten persons in case of necessity. Above all had the function to offer to the Bronte's peasants or shepherds a day shelter and, sometime, when required by the circumstances, even a shelter for the night.

Constructed with dry stones, it is, nearly always, of a circular shape, with only one opening and is crowned by a covering of stones placed in concentric circles of decreasing diameter, towards the top. "U pagghiaru" ("the straw stack", this way, even if improperly, is called in Bronte this strange habitation) was the first refuge of the ancient inhabitants of this side of Etna.

Probably is coeval to the cave: appeared, in fact, before the other typical construction of this area “a casotta” ("this little house" also one single room, but rectangular, in dry masonry realized with lava stones and, sometime, with cantonal stones roughly squared).

“U pagghiaru”, is a very ancient type of Mediterranean habitation of prehistoric derivation: appeared first isolated and soon after, as the habitation unit of the primitive prehistoric village.

Our ancestors, Sicani and Siculi, probably began this way their relational life, trying to copy what nature had offered to them with the natural caverns.

The selection of the locality was made in a way that would assure, above all, the stability, in a place naturally protected from the winds, from bad weather and from eventual inundations caused by heavy rains or overflowing torrents and rivers.

Also, generally, they carefully tried to realize the construction over emerging lava banks to avoid a direct contact with the nude earth. Even if created to accommodate all the members of the family, it never lost his characteristic of a simple and unitary mono-local.

Today these rudimentary and primitive constructions, put in rare exemplary in the middle of woods or of the sciare of Etna, represent a singular specificity, a cultural and historic value; are a tangible testimony of our peasant civilization but, in reality, are, unfortunately, in a condition of total abandon and of progressive inexorable degrade.


The first two images were taken on Etna inside the Monte Chiuso basin near the lava paved road that leads to Piano dei Grilli. The one on the right, the second, also has a particular form of elevation. In this area, once the kingdom of charcoal burners and shepherds, there are still, one next to the other, numerous other "pagghiàri" of different structures and shapes, built dry only with stones without any trace of lime or mortar and perfectly preserved despite the continuous volcanic tremors and earthquakes. Some are still used as cellars (the entrance in the photo on the right). The other three images are of the Contrada Rizzonito-Saraceno. Today these rudimentary and primitive constructions, still present in many examples in the middle of the woods and the sciare of Etna, represent a singular specificity, a cultural, historical and landscape value of considerable importance. They are a tangible testimony of our peasant civilization, of our past but some are about to disappear completely, others poorly restored with the use of cement, iron doors and gates have lost their original imprint. In fact, they are, unfortunately, in a condition of total abandonment and progressive inexorable degradation. There is a complete lack of a census of these ancient rock artefacts, of this ancient rural architecture that could also lead to the identification of an interesting cultural-naturalistic itinerary. With a view to enhancing the territory and its rural heritage, it would be interesting to have a path that takes us back through the centuries and allows us to discover the signs left by man on the rock since distant prehistory such as rock millstones, tombs and caves, ravines and shelters under the rock.


Built in dry stone, «'u pagghiàru 'n petra» almost always rises on a circular plan, with a single access opening and is crowned by a covering of stones arranged in concentric circles of decreasing diameter towards the top. It served, and in some cases still serves, as a shelter to accommodate up to ten people in case of need. It rarely lost its characteristic of a studio apartment. Built exclusively with material obtained on site, it camouflages and adapts perfectly with the surrounding environment. Unfortunately, however, almost all of these rural buildings, of great historical, cultural and architectural interest, are in a state of abandonment and progressive irremediable degradation. No recovery or enhancement policy has been implemented. And this even though they fall for the most part within the protected territory of the Etna Park.


These buildings, a typical example of primitive rural architecture, are built dry with slabs of lava stone, without the use of any cement mortar. Almost always circular in plan, they have a roof that forms a sort of conical cusp, arranged in concentric circles of decreasing diameter towards the top. A simple and ingenious construction technique, which, using only the stone of Etna from the same place where they stand, allowed the erection of homes that still defy the passing of the centuries, perfectly integrated into the surrounding environment. The one on the left is still in good condition and is located almost adjacent to the state road 284 that leads from Bronte to Randazzo (Contrada Nave). The other "pagghiàru 'n petra" (in the center) is located on the outskirts of Bronte, adjacent to the road that descends from the district of contrada Sciarotta. It is registered and protected by the Superintendence, but the unknown administrator (or whoever for him) conceived the recovery, protection and enhancement of the precious artifact in this way: with a beautiful pouring of concrete. With a new "modern" roof and the reuse of a small gate, the other "haystack" in the Nave district (photo on the right) continues to perform its function admirably as a welcoming shelter in case of rain.


The first two "pagghiari 'n petra" are located inside the Etna Park near the high mountain track. The first shelter with a not perfectly rounded roof has, next to it, another partially collapsed one. The second (visible near the Monte Lepre - Monte Egitto junction, at 1,602 m) has a perfectly conical "ciappe" roof, with large ashlars carefully selected so that they can fit together without using any mortar. The other two on the right still resist in the "Rizzonito-Saraceno" district a few hundred meters from the 284 Adrano-Bronte state road. The last of the four photos is even built on two floors. The Rizzonito district, a real sea of sciara, has been transformed by the patient Bronte farmers into a pistachio grove; the only plant that manages to live among these endless stone piles is in fact 'a frastucara.

Also on Etna, on the sides of the Pista altomontana, near Monti Peloso and Sellato, there is this different type of rural dwelling:
the haystacks, in this case, have a perfectly conical shape, they are not built with lava stones but with large and tall trunks that join at the top covered with shrubs and earth.

'A caszotta

On the left, “a caszotta” (“the little house”): a rectangular studio flat, built with lava stones always in dry masonry and a roof with traditional curved tiles (coppi, locally called canari).

It is the typical rural construction of the Bronte countryside perfectly integrated into the surrounding environment. On the masonry as well as above the entrance door there is usually always a window.

The roof, with a single pitch or gable, has a covering made of brick tiles and coppi supported by a reed trellis that rests on wooden beams.

In the photo on the right, another example of ancient rural architecture: a "pagghiaru" in sandstone from the Nebrodi mountains (this is on the road that, after the junction for Floresta, leads to S. Piero Patti (provincial road 121, at 1,200 m above sea level). It is called "cùbburu" or "tholos" and, like the others in the surrounding area, it has recently been restored, catalogued and protected by a fence.

It recalls the characteristic circular constructions of the ancient world. It is distinguished not only by the material with which it is built but also by its spherical and not conical dome structure.

A project, carried out in 2012, which involved the municipalities of San Piero Patti, Montalbano Elicona, Raccuja and Floresta, restored 12 cùbburi, valorising these ancient artefacts, cataloguing them and marking them with panels on a special route.

Nomadic Architecture

Memory in the circular shelters of Sicilian shepherds

A purely nomadic art, an ancient building technique, cultural baggage of a vanished society.
The high mountains of Sicily, where the wind lashes the earth for many days a year; where the agricultural estates give way to the grazing of sheep and cattle; where the sedentary man is replaced by the nomadism of shepherds and cattlemen; precisely in these places it is possible to come across strange structures with a circular plan, imposing in their size, curious for their shape.

These are temporary shelters built by shepherds, often used by them in cases of emergency: rapid changes in the climate or excessive distance from their rural home are the conditioning factors that have always pushed these men of the land to create temporary posts in strategic and well-studied places.
These are buildings erected by means of completely dry masonry, the ashlars are neither squared nor rough-hewn, but carefully selected so that they can fit together, in order to form a relatively solid structure.
The thickness of the walls varies from structure to structure, although in general it exceeds 50 cm, reaching in some cases even one meter.

A single opening distinguishes the circular building body: it is almost always low, not exceeding one meter in height. In some cases, beyond the small entrance, other openings can be observed, which, if they exist, are prefigured as small windows, located in predefined points, so as not to create poisonous air currents inside the single room.

Finally, the roof. Although it varies from building to building, in those still intact constructions you can observe a "hut" roof, formed by flat overlapping stone slabs, which are self-supporting without the aid of cement mortar. In some cases, a tiled roof was placed on the circular structure, supported by small wooden beams (usually large, partially worked branches).
As already mentioned, these are simple, effective constructions, erected in one day's work with the help of certainly expert hands. How shepherds and nomads knew such advanced building techniques despite their simplicity is a mystery. The only possible explanation lies in that cultural substratum handed down from generation to generation since the dawn of time.

In fact, although some of these structures are not more than a century old, others are certainly much older and probably follow even more remote construction typologies, whose historical memory has been erased by the mists of time.

After all, Sicily's past has been written by many peoples, each of whom has left a conspicuous fragment of their own culture. Who can say then whether these circular shelters date back to the era of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Aragonese, Spanish domination. They exist on earth and in the minds of solitary men who have crossed and perhaps still cross hills and mountains completely or partially disconnected from contemporary society.

Their past is uncertain, their future seems marked: how can an oral culture be preserved, linked to a human generation destined for extinction?

[Giuseppe Tropea, Gazzettino di Giarre, November 13, 2004]

The ancient stone grape press

This grape press, entirely dug into the rock, is a true testimony to the viticultural and rock archaeology of the Bronte area.

Evidently the Colla area, where it is located, was once dedicated to the cultivation of vines and the rudimentary palmento allowed the transformation of grapes into must in the same place.

With a simple but interesting structure, it is made of a block of sandstone; essentially formed by two tanks, located on different levels and connected to each other by means of a hole (indicated by the arrow in the image at the bottom left).

The main tank, larger, dug into the upper part of the rock, is the press. Here the grapes were pressed; the lower one located at ground level (almost disappeared) is the vat where the must was collected. The liquid flowed from the main tank to the secondary one through the hole in the partition wall that connects the two tanks.

Its use dates back to prehistoric times. The ancient "palmenti" built with different techniques, in masonry, present in many areas of Etna and which already have a thousand-year history, will come later.

The centuries-old rock artifact left to us by our ancestors has reached us intact only because of its fortunate location: it was built, in fact, a few hundred meters from the town of Bronte, but on Mount Colla which protected it from Etna. The devastating centuries-old volcanic eruptions have never reached this place.

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Translated by Sam Bella
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