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The foundation of a new Terra
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Medieval Muro
Borgo Terra
Project 2006-2007
The medieval village
The foundation
of a new Terra
The Borgo GIS
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Chronology of Muro
In 1438 the Lands of Muro (or the Terra) were conceded to Florimonte Protonobilissimo by Giovanni Antonio Orsini Del Balzo. Soon after this Borgo Terra was founded, and built to the type of town plan which was by then traditional and well established in the rest of Europe and Northern Italy having first appeared in the 13th century. The power centre of the Borgo was the castle, built in the south eastern corner of the town, some years after the wall and the moat had been built. Work began on the castle in second half of the 15th century, it had three levels, rectangular in form and similar in their layout. The town walls, some of which are still visible in the courtyard of the current building, were surrounded by a large moat which, when the castle was built, was extended further. During the 16th and 17th centuries the castle underwent radical transformations both in terms of form and function, taking on a character which was closely linked to the lifestyle of the aristocracy at that time.
The entire Borgo area was divided up into rectangular insulae determined by a orthogonal network of paths. The excavations in via del Borgo have brought to light a series of roads which, from the start, were built one on top of the other, with widths varying between 1.70 and 2.50 metres. They were made out of pressed limestone shingle and beaten earth and were subject to constant renewal. In via Terra (area IIIB), the limestone surface had been cut in order to insert the grave of a newborn child, covered by a flat stone. It was not until the 17th century that some of the road network, like vico Pignatelli (area IV),was paved with stone blocks. It would seem from topographical analysis that the Borgo was originally crossed by three roads in a north-south direction, now partially obliterated. By following the course of the spaces which remained open until the 1900s a road axis can be followed, which going in an east-west direction met up with the three main arteries in the North.
In order to meet the demands of a growing population - in 1447 there were around 40 households, but by 1532 the number had already risen to 460 – new housing lots were created taking up the remaining free space. According to excavation data and written sources, the moat was abandoned between 1599 -1622 and gradually filled in. Various buildings were built in the area where the walls and moat had been, many of which still have a basement floor demonstrating how the moat was reutilised.
The entire Borgo area was divided up into rectangular insulae determined by a orthogonal network of paths. The excavations in via del Borgo have brought to light a series of roads which, from the start, were built one on top of the other, with widths varying between 1.70 and 2.50 metres. They were made out of pressed limestone shingle and beaten earth and were subject to constant renewal. In via Terra (area IIIB), the limestone surface had been cut in order to insert the grave of a newborn child, covered by a flat stone. It was not until the 17th century that some of the road network, like vico Pignatelli (area IV),was paved with stone blocks. It would seem from topographical analysis that the Borgo was originally crossed by three roads in a north-south direction, now partially obliterated. By following the course of the spaces which remained open until the 1900s a road axis can be followed, which going in an east-west direction met up with the three main arteries in the North.
In order to meet the demands of a growing population - in 1447 there were around 40 households, but by 1532 the number had already risen to 460 – new housing lots were created taking up the remaining free space. According to excavation data and written sources, the moat was abandoned between 1599 -1622 and gradually filled in. Various buildings were built in the area where the walls and moat had been, many of which still have a basement floor demonstrating how the moat was reutilised.
