Thatched Roofs Wooden Structure in the Giudicarie Esteriori of Trentino (Italy)

Until the beginning 20th century all traditional rural buildings, in the Giudicarie Esteriori Valleys, are characterized by the use of rye straw to cover the roofs. Nowadays, the thatched roofs have thoroughly disappeared in this area of the Trentino region (Italy). This work refers to a specific research project, carried out by the Laboratory of Building Design of the University of Trento. The aim of the research is to rediscover and to preserve the Judicarian traditional building technique to cover the roofs with the rye straw. The basic steps of this research project are: -the study of the old thatching technique used by thatchers in the Giudicarie Esteriori Valleys; -the study of the timber structure of the thatched roofs; -an experimental study for the production of a good quality straw to cover the roofs; -the design for the reconstruction of a typical thatched building. The research results will be applied in the reconstruction of a traditional thatched roof on an old rural building inside the Judicaria Ecomuseum “from the Dolomites to Lake Garda".