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Period of the monument: XIX century
Place: Municipality of Reggello (FI)
Year of restoration: 2017
Category of works: OS2-A and OG2
Client: Сommission synodal for the diacon.
Supervision: Studio Associato Punto Linea Architetture
Work performed: Restoration of facades with decorated plaster and stone parts, re-roofing and restoration of interior floors
The existence of the “Fattoria dei Graffi” likely dates back to the 15th century. A text from 1532 speaks of two houses, a manor house and one for workers, in a “place called a Graffi or mill”; later, in texts from the 1700s and 1800s, the existence of the complex appears with certainty under various captions, ranging from “the Graffi villa” to “villa called Graffi” as well as “palace of the Graffi”; in 1821 the Leopoldino Cadastre planimetrically identifies a chapel with courtyard and another property next door in addition to the two buildings mentioned.
In 1971 the manor complex came together through the CARES, Comitato Assistenza Ragazzi e Studenti (Teen and Student Assistance Committee), and was then included in the patrimony of the Tavola Valdese in 1988. Today the entire complex is used for tourism, recreation, and hospitality with a limited agricultural production.
The “Villa dei Graffi”, represents the main body of the complex, it is a building that over time has undergone several changes to be adapted to subsequent needs. The origin is not certain, however, it dates back to the construction of an ancient tower-house that was the nucleus around which the human presence in this place;
Much better documented are the subsequent works of enlargement and/or transformation of the Villa recorded in documents from 1766, 1809 and 1956, which confirm that the Villa in its external and internal conformation was fully constructed in the middle of the nineteenth century.
The facades underwent many improper “attacks” during the course of time, such as plastering done with cement instead of lime. Fortunately these were of limited depth, leaving way to a degradation that manifested itself mainly in the form of encrustation, washout, and pulverization of the material. Additionally all the facades were subjected to degradation of the pictorial elements, through the washout of the mortar of lime and colored soils.
The general state of the building was of great degradation, especially on the outside. The facades and the fixtures needed an overall arrangement since the interventions that had taken place over time, did not respect the decorative appearance of the facades neither for the finishes nor for the materials used. The roof and the attic (only partially accessible) were in a bad state, both in the wooden structures and terracotta elements, with the presence of many depressions and deteriorated elements, which had a negative influence on the weatherproofing.
As far as the roof is concerned, we intervened to eliminate water infiltration by laying a breathable waterproofing sheath of plant origin. Complete disassembly of the roofing (pantiles and roofing tiles) was performed and, where possible, also of terracotta tiles to replace the damaged rafters and beams. All the wooden and terracotta elements were reused, also through their consolidation and replacements limited to those strictly necessary, however with recovered material and/or new similar material. The terracotta elements (tavelloni) and wooden elements (boards) placed between the chamfered rafters of the eaves were completely disassembled. When deteriorated, the wooden elements were disassembled, restored, and/or replaced. The board chair was also restored while the eaves channels and showers were entirely replaced with new copper piping.
The pictorial cycle, which was only in good condition underneath the eaves, was recovered, in order to continue the pictorial drafts using the same materials and finishes. The false shutters inside the semicircular lunettes underneath the tympanums of the first floor windows were painted, resuming and following the visible traces present.
The parts of the lateral ashlars, where missing, were integrated with new ones of the same design, while the remaining parts were cleaned from the biological patina covering them, plastered, and then superficially consolidated. Those not adhering to the masonry, were detached and then replaced in their current position. A similar procedure was followed for the basement drafts of the façade, removed and replaced where recent inadequate reconstructions were made, while the remaining parts were cleaned and consolidated.
The string course cornices on the first floor level were reconstructed, where necessary, with modine and lime-based mortar. The decorative apparatus of the windows on this level was stuccoed and restored in new and the few missing stone parts, where possible, were integrated with gray stone of the same type. The cornices and windows of the first floor and basement, where necessary, were reconstructed in lime with a finish similar to the existing ones. The iron elements, balcony railing, and window grilles were protected from rust and then repainted an iron-color.
