Stone bearing wall in Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari Structural vs aesthetics reasons of materials, techniques, reinforcements, shapes and dimensions

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.