Abstract:
This paper aims to codify a set of wisdoms gained through tradition in construction to make
it available today to design and to restoration in stone bearing. In particular, it focuses the
constructive characters of stone wall, up to establish points of synergy between structural and
aesthetic reasons.
The Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari is assumed as ideal case studied to exemplify the Apulia
Romanesque way of building.
To achieve the goals, stone wall is investigated from several point of view: material,
constructive techniques, wood armour system and stone reinforcements, showing the integration
of structural arrangements in the architectural forms and the correspondence between building
system and architectural language.
Moreover, the dimensional increase of stone wall, linked to the great size of the Basilica, is
investigated trough three dimensional qualities of wall, considering them not only as numeric
values but also such as form and space. In this way the study comes to the analysis of the
different planimetric arrangements and shapes of the stone wall, in relation to the level of
stability and robustness that they give to the building as a whole.
