Hello.

I am a student doing an MSc at Portsmouth University and part of my coursework is to design a very small building (12 m2) in Palermo using local materials and local labour. The building would need to be shaded by trees and shrubs. I need to locate on the internet or by book, the type of materials available in Sicily.
e.g. roof tiles, stone or brick for walls, what type of timber is available, do Sicilians have access to local cement or limes, what type of shrubs are common? Insects. Are they a problem. Malaria. Is it safe to have standing water or water storage. The building is to be low energy and eco-friendly (very topical).

I have seen some beautiful Sicilian buildings on the internet but I need access to information on the materials available. Not easy whilst sitting at a desk in Portsmouth.

Any help would be very appreciated - even the URL for the Sicilan yellow pages.

many thanks

Daniel Brown

Hi!! My name is Marco; I'm from Sicily (exactly from Caltanissetta), but now I stay in Milan (for study). I speak little English, so you scuse me if you don't understande me.

For the building in Sicily have been used such stones:
-Sabucina's Stone
-Lavic Stone from Etna
-Noto’s Stone or calcarenite
-Giuggiolena Stone or light calcarenite
-Calctufa or local travertine

The most important are:
The stone of Sabucina
Sabucina’s stone is a sedimentary sandstone, prevalently made up by yellow sands, organic calcarenite sand cemented grained conglomerates which form different order sea terraces. His forming goes back to Upper Pleistocene and is placed inside the so called Caltanissetta Basin or Trench
Specific weight (kg/m^3): 1818,43
Compressive resistance (MPa): 11,31
Tensile resistance (MPa): 1,20

The stone of Noto
Noto’s stone is a variable-light yellow colored Miocenic fossili ferous calcarenite, belonging to Palazzolo formation which is of sedimentary origins from the Iblei series.
Specific weight (kg/m^3): 2026,30
Compressive resistance (MPa): 15,70
Tensile resistance (MPa): 1,40

The Lava Stone
Lava stone is an actual stone that is produced from volcanic Etna activities. It is gray in color e more resistance then Noto's and Sabucina's Stone.

I hope that this help you.

Hi, and remember, "Iu sugnu Sicilianu; e sugnu Cartanittisi".
TRANSLATE: "I'm Sicilian; and I'm from Caltanissetta"

Marco

have a look at the following site so you can get an idea of what kind of houses you can find in Sicily.


http://www.casa.it/se1/s4.aspx?inparam=1^1^19^82^^VE^^^^^V^^^^^CIT^c^^^^l 20^^^^^^^^^^

Dear Marco and Gabriella

Thankyou for the information. You have helped me a lot. I need to locate tree types and shrubs for shading. Most photographs show rich vegetation but is Sicily this lush.

Daniel

Here is another link you might have a look at.
www.meditflora.com/siciliane.htm
No, most of the island has serious problems of water shortage.
Good luck