Page 31 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 31
fireplaces in the vipava valley
were sometimes also decorated; they were most frequently covered with stone or brick roof-
ing. Also decorations of the cowl and the crown, for example decorative garlands, which
stood out due to their colour and plasticity, were made of brick. Bunches of chipped roof
tiles (korci) or stone balls were placed on each corner of the cowl for decoration. Besides
their functional role, chimneys also had an artistic and representational role because they
were the only external representational element of the building, next to the visually high-
lighted portal (Makarovič, 1981, p. 56).
The development of smoke exhaust was also connected with the introduction of the
so-called spahnjenica – a rectangular, rarely semicircular kitchen recess on the external wall
of the dwelling with an open fireplace and a chimney – which was documented in the Low-
er Vipava Valley, although even more often in the Karst, Brda and Friuli (Guštin Grilanc,
2002, p. 29, 34; Renčelj & Lah, 2008, p. 165; Šarf, 1964, p. 364). Spahnjenica was a distinctly
functional architecture element. In multi-storey castle or middle-class architecture, spahn-
jenica conducted smoke from lower floors. Smoke exhaust through the chimney of spahn-
jenica is documented relatively early in the urban architecture of Venice and Grado. From
there, it spread to agrarian dwellings of Friuli (especially the eastern Friuli and around the
city of Monfalcone/Tržič), Veneto and the Po Plain already in the mid-18th century. Besides
the purpose of smoke exhaust, spahnjenica was primarily intended for fire safety (Scarin,
1943, f. 3/7). Unlike the thatched residential and non-residential parts of the building, spah-
njenica was an incombustible fireplace recess with stone or brick roofing. While the con-
struction of spahnjenica in Istria was under the direct influence of Venice (Šuklje, 1952, p. 1),
it came to the Lower Vipava Valley, the Karst, Brda and the valleys of the Natisone/Nadiža
River in the 19th century via Friuli, either directly or under the influence of the Friuli con-
struction workers (Bancalari, 1896, pp. 114–120; Galluzzo, 1984, p. 37; Šarf, 1958; Lorenzi,
1914, p. 600; Makarovič, 1986, p. 53; Scarin, 1943, pp. 130–132; Sedej, 1990, p. 315). The ear-
liest archive records of spahnjenica in the Lower Vipava Valley date from early 19th century.
From then on, it was widely used until the first decades of the 20th century. Its usual floor
plan was square or rectangular with possible cut-off edges. Due to demolition of the hous-
ing stock during World War I, a relatively small number of spahnjenica have survived in the
Lower Vipava Valley until today; two examples in Batuje and Pedrovo, and one in Malovše
and Ozeljan. In the Upper Vipava Valley, spahnjenica was rare. The only preserved exam-
ple can be seen in the monastery manor house at Zajčji grad in Podnanos; however, accord-
ing to the former owner Ana Tavčar, this spahnjenica was added later by the inn’s owner
Zajc, who thoroughly renovated the manor around 1900 and »built an extension kitchen
in the Karst style« for the needs of the inn (Seražin, 2006, p. 36, 71; Sapač, 2008, pp. 49–
51). There are different natural-geographical and socio-historical reasons why the Upper
Vipava Valley did not to have any example of spahnjenica. Due to harsh winters people pre-
ferred building fireplaces and chimneys inside the dwelling so that the heat of the chim-
ney would also warm up the rooms of the upper floor. It was possible to integrate the chim-
ney and the fireplace inside the dwelling because of tile roofing, which became available in
the 19th century, first due to craft and later industrial production of brick. People tended to
separate thatched roofing, which was common in the Karst with no clay soil, from the fire-
proof spahnjenica with stone or brick roofing. Due to the close proximity to Friuli and due
to the Friuli construction workers, who built the railway in the mid-19th century, the influ-
29
were sometimes also decorated; they were most frequently covered with stone or brick roof-
ing. Also decorations of the cowl and the crown, for example decorative garlands, which
stood out due to their colour and plasticity, were made of brick. Bunches of chipped roof
tiles (korci) or stone balls were placed on each corner of the cowl for decoration. Besides
their functional role, chimneys also had an artistic and representational role because they
were the only external representational element of the building, next to the visually high-
lighted portal (Makarovič, 1981, p. 56).
The development of smoke exhaust was also connected with the introduction of the
so-called spahnjenica – a rectangular, rarely semicircular kitchen recess on the external wall
of the dwelling with an open fireplace and a chimney – which was documented in the Low-
er Vipava Valley, although even more often in the Karst, Brda and Friuli (Guštin Grilanc,
2002, p. 29, 34; Renčelj & Lah, 2008, p. 165; Šarf, 1964, p. 364). Spahnjenica was a distinctly
functional architecture element. In multi-storey castle or middle-class architecture, spahn-
jenica conducted smoke from lower floors. Smoke exhaust through the chimney of spahn-
jenica is documented relatively early in the urban architecture of Venice and Grado. From
there, it spread to agrarian dwellings of Friuli (especially the eastern Friuli and around the
city of Monfalcone/Tržič), Veneto and the Po Plain already in the mid-18th century. Besides
the purpose of smoke exhaust, spahnjenica was primarily intended for fire safety (Scarin,
1943, f. 3/7). Unlike the thatched residential and non-residential parts of the building, spah-
njenica was an incombustible fireplace recess with stone or brick roofing. While the con-
struction of spahnjenica in Istria was under the direct influence of Venice (Šuklje, 1952, p. 1),
it came to the Lower Vipava Valley, the Karst, Brda and the valleys of the Natisone/Nadiža
River in the 19th century via Friuli, either directly or under the influence of the Friuli con-
struction workers (Bancalari, 1896, pp. 114–120; Galluzzo, 1984, p. 37; Šarf, 1958; Lorenzi,
1914, p. 600; Makarovič, 1986, p. 53; Scarin, 1943, pp. 130–132; Sedej, 1990, p. 315). The ear-
liest archive records of spahnjenica in the Lower Vipava Valley date from early 19th century.
From then on, it was widely used until the first decades of the 20th century. Its usual floor
plan was square or rectangular with possible cut-off edges. Due to demolition of the hous-
ing stock during World War I, a relatively small number of spahnjenica have survived in the
Lower Vipava Valley until today; two examples in Batuje and Pedrovo, and one in Malovše
and Ozeljan. In the Upper Vipava Valley, spahnjenica was rare. The only preserved exam-
ple can be seen in the monastery manor house at Zajčji grad in Podnanos; however, accord-
ing to the former owner Ana Tavčar, this spahnjenica was added later by the inn’s owner
Zajc, who thoroughly renovated the manor around 1900 and »built an extension kitchen
in the Karst style« for the needs of the inn (Seražin, 2006, p. 36, 71; Sapač, 2008, pp. 49–
51). There are different natural-geographical and socio-historical reasons why the Upper
Vipava Valley did not to have any example of spahnjenica. Due to harsh winters people pre-
ferred building fireplaces and chimneys inside the dwelling so that the heat of the chim-
ney would also warm up the rooms of the upper floor. It was possible to integrate the chim-
ney and the fireplace inside the dwelling because of tile roofing, which became available in
the 19th century, first due to craft and later industrial production of brick. People tended to
separate thatched roofing, which was common in the Karst with no clay soil, from the fire-
proof spahnjenica with stone or brick roofing. Due to the close proximity to Friuli and due
to the Friuli construction workers, who built the railway in the mid-19th century, the influ-
29
