Volte ad incannucciato nel cantiere storico napoletano. Risultati di una ricognizione in progress

Within the Neapolitan construction culture, wood and reeds vaults are some of the most widely used types of wooden structures, although they still require more detailed study. The alternating fortunes of practical aspects of this construction technique in the history of Neapolitan and Italian architectural treatises is one of the factors that have most limited the possibility of codifying and passing on this building technique. Although of ancient origin, it is only from the late 16th century that this construction system spread in the Naples area, also thanks to the regular exchange of knowledge with other Italian or foreign contexts. Despite the high vulnerability of these structures to fire and water, their ‘lightweight’ and, therefore, anti-seismic character is one of the elements that encouraged their use, which saw considerable technical evolution during the 17th and 18th centuries. In view of this, the essay aims to offer a systematic overview of the theoretical development and practical application of vaults made from wood and canes or reeds (camorcanna or incannucciato vaults) in the Neapolitan construction tradition between the 16th and first half of the 18th century. In particular, a survey of architectural manuals, and their interpretation, is intertwined with the study of the historical documentation relating to some of the most significant construction projects in Naples, among which the Cathedral represents an emblematic case specifically analysed. Through a constant comparison between historical sources and actual buildings, the paper – the result of ongoing research – aims to fill in a gap in our knowledge as regards the history of Neapolitan construction techniques, with significant implications for the conservation and mitigation of the vulnerability of these structures.