BROKEN LANDSCAPE
The valorization of the Remole fulling mills as a systemic key to a territorial experience
Students: Lorenzo Maria Benzoni, Alex Beretta, Giulia Biondi Supervisors: Marco Voltini | Stefano Tropea | Academic Year 2019/2020
1
WOOL GUILD AND FULLING MILLS
The coincidence of the Germanic root valka / walkan along with the term gualcare made credible for a long time the hypothesis of the birth and spread of a hydraulic machinery for textile use in the Germanic territory in the middle-ages. However, the linguistic diffusion of the term gualcare is less than that which probably derives from the Latin fullonius, widely diffused in Europe: fullatura or molinum cum follis in Italy, muolin à fouler in France and fulling mill in England . The first notarial deed certifying the existence of the Remole fulling mills in the Florentine countryside dates back to 1425 and was drawn up by the notary of the powerful Albizzi family, already owner of three other hydraulic factories along
the Arno river, (from east to west, Quintole , Girone and Rovezzano), although the Opus novarum gualcheriarum, a document that records a loan from the Wool Guild in favor of the family, could trace the birth of the complex back to 1327.
assortment import
washing first processing
rodding first processing
staple dye first processing
scamattatura first processing
combing first processing
spinning spinning process
dyeing spinning process
weaving spinning process
dizzoccolatura finishing
purging finishing
patch dye finishing
patch dye finishing
patch dye finishing
patch dye finishing fulling
finishing
Scale 1:25 000
FRAMING
XIII Origins
Quintole, Girone and Rovezzano plants are built for grain milling
XIV Conversion
Quintole, Girone and Rovezzano plants are converted to fulling mills
XIV Origins | Remole The Remole fulling mills were built as a new intervention following the
flood of 1333
XVI Wealth | Rovezzano Period of expansion of the Rovezzano
fulling mills XV
Wealth | Girone Particular wealth period of the
Girone fulling mills
XVI Wool Guild
The four fulling mills go under the domain of the Florence Wool Guild
inizio XVI Disposal | Quintole Disposal of the Quintole fulling
mills
XVII Fall | Rovezzano
Gradual decrease of the activity of the Rovezzano fulling mills
XX Disposal | Remole After having changed various owners
and various destinations of use the Remole fulling mills are abandoned XVIII
Disposal | Rovezzano After a brief period of economic upturn, the Rovezzano fulling mills
are disposed
BUILT ENVIRONMENT CONNECTIONS HYDROGRAPHIC NETWORK OROGRAPHY AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM
Solids Arno river
Minor branches Highway
Main road Road network Railway
Wild forest Pine forests Hardwood forests Olive-groves Vineyards Arboreal vegetation 50m contour lines
10m contour lines
