The aim of the course Architectural Theory in the 4th semester was to write an analysis on the topic Housing in Italy. Our group chose the architect Saverio Muratori, and together with our professor we focused on his book Civiltá e territorio. We translated and studied the text in detail. As a special assignment, each group member was asked to work on one of the chapters and prepare a summary or abstract. The text presented here was translated with the help of DeepL.
The soil is not only nature, but also a reflection of humanity’s intellectual, cultural and economic development. In the chapter ‘Parte I: Logica’, it becomes clear that the soil can be understood as a ‘readable landscape’: it is not only physical space, but also a repository and expression of human traces. So-called image concepts are imprinted in the soil – mental structures based on humanity’s ability not only to perceive its environment with the senses, but also to interpret, remember and organise it. Image concepts are thus abstract ideas with which humanity structures and interprets space and transfers it into a mental archive. These are not concrete images, but cognitive patterns that serve as ‘concepts of space’ – such as the idea of a path, a centre or a boundary.
This relationship between humans and the ground begins with nomadic humans, who instinctively move along ridges and ridges. As hunters and gatherers, they traversed the ground without using it permanently – similar to a caterpillar moving tentatively and without conscious direction through its universe. In this phase, the first traces emerged, but these did not yet represent fixed structures. Nevertheless, even these early movements were already characterised by implicit image concepts – such as the idea of permeability, obstacles or orientation along natural lines.
Settling down brings about a fundamental change: mere crossing becomes conscious use of the land. Humans develop stable forms of use and the first pastoral and agricultural techniques. This gives rise to new paths – known as central coastal paths – fields and boundaries, which introduce a first order to the landscape. The land thus takes on a new meaning as a structuring surface. Visual concepts such as ‘field’, “plot” or ‘boundary’ establish themselves as mental categories that also shape physical reality.
In the next step, urban development, these structures are further consolidated and consciously organised. Valley paths, bridges and watercourses are now specifically planned to enable exchange and trade. Cities emerge as central hubs from which the landscape is developed. At the same time, people’s perspective changes: they learn geometric and kinematic concepts and orient themselves according to time and movements in the landscape. The ground is thus not only used, but also read, planned and organised. Visual concepts such as ‘axis’, “connection” or ‘network’ now complement the mental repertoire and reflect an increasingly abstract, rational penetration of space.
This development is not a linear process. Rather, cyclical patterns emerge: old ridge trails dating back to the earliest phase are repeatedly rediscovered and used – especially in times of crisis or regression. Thus, the cycle of usage patterns repeats itself, pointing to the deep roots of humans in the natural conditions of the soil. Here, too, we see the consistency and adaptability of visual concepts, which are reactivated or transformed depending on
the legibility of the landscape in historical situations.
This cyclical recurrence is also evident in the legibility of the soil itself. Paths, fields, cities – all these human traces are image concepts that, regardless of their economic or aesthetic function, represent a logical, mental structure. They are an expression of human labour, order and visions. They manifest the history of use and appropriation that remains legible in the landscape to this day.
This is clearly illustrated by the example of Lazio: the Roman consular roads – ridge paths, hillside paths and valley floor paths – clearly show, in their clear distinction and sequence, how humans have increasingly consciously interpreted and shaped the landscape. This development reflects the mental processing of the land and at the same time illustrates the cultural narrative that unfolds in each region in its own way. Here, the roads become material lines of a conceptual order – they are physical carriers of abstract image concepts such as ‘direction’, “connection” and ‘centre’.
The ground is therefore much more than just a physical space. It is a mirror and a memory, an image concept and a narrative at the same time. Humans recognise themselves in it and constantly reshape it. The ground thus becomes a cultural archive that reveals not only history but also the spiritual world of humans.