Architectural survey, realized with integrated methodology, of the complex of Walser houses in Alagna Valsesia, Italy

Abstract

[EN] The subject of this paper is the architectural survey, realized with integrated methodology, of three Wal-ser houses, located in Ronco Superiore, within the Alagna Valsesia (Vercelli, Italy) municipality. The task of surveying the complex was assigned to us by the Superintendence of Archeology, Fine Arts and Land-scape for the provinces of Biella, Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli in cooperation with the Regional Secretariat of Piemonte. The aim of the work was that of providing graphic and metric refer-ences for the houses, which are a typical example of the rural architecture at the foot of Monte Rosa, to be made available for subsequent interventions of restoration and enhancement. The Superintendence took over the safekeeping of the site from the Public Property in 1998 and, since then, has promoted a process of recovery of the buildings, winning the Europa Nostra Award in 2014. Granting access to visi-tors has given a larger audience the possibility of knowing the history, the constructive peculiarities and the works of conservation carried out in this area. Specifically, the complex of Walser houses is the most ancient settlement in Alagna, built between the end of XVI century and the beginning of XVII century. Walser houses have a stone basement and wooden roof and walls. The latter are built with the Blockbau technique, i.e. a superimposition of trunks and beams, juxtaposed to shape walls; interlocking connec-tions ensure the rigidity of the structure. First, we have acquired the morphometric characteristics of the buildings; then, we have elaborated them graphically, by employing a georeferenced, 3D laser scanner. Photogrammetric data have, instead, been acquired using digital cameras and drones.