The village

The three terracings

The medieval settlement of Tremona-Castello was built on three terracings. The earliest road leading out of the settlement led to Meride; from the entrance gate on the north west side it joined the village lower down. The state of preservation of the walls is variable: some have been seriously damaged by the roots of trees that have grown there for centuries; other parts remain intact at a height of over 1.5m. The walls are made of dolomite, split into small, irregular-shaped stones. They are 60-70cm thick, solid and strong despite the fact that they have been laid directly on to the uneven ground.

Small and large buildings

The smallest building in the village measures 9m2, the largest 41m2. Some of the buildings have internal areas with independent access. Their function has been established as a result of finding hearths, metal objects and the remains of food. The majority of the buildings were used as dwellings, confirmed by finds of everyday objects and the existence of hearths. Others were certainly shops or storehouses. Contrarily, there seem to be no buildings of particular significance or “halls of power”. The most important buildings in terms of size and position are the “tower” and the “church”, the latter being situated in the centre of the settlement and aligned from East to West.

Houses and furniture

The medieval houses of Tremona are small and rectangular in shape, with tiled roofs and dirt floors or small area of cobblestones. The small (and rare) windows had no glass, and were closed with wooden shutters, skins or waxed cloth.

These rather unappealing spaces were probably filled with smoke, given that there were no chimneys. Water was brought from outside the village. Any furnishings would have been very simple: boards on trestle stands, benches and stools, chests closed with metal fastenings, wall hooks for hanging clothes or provisions. And, on the floor, one or more straw beds.