: Roberta Rio
: The Topophilia Effect How places affect us
: Edition A
: 9783990017074
: 1
: CHF 15.30
:
: Architektur
: English
: 264
: Wasserzeichen
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
Health. Success. Love. How do the places where we live, work or spend our vacations, affect our life? Historian Roberta Rio is researching the history of buildings, apartments or land and finds recurring patterns. In this book she shows, based on old knowledge and new research results, what we should know about the effect of places and how we find out.

Roberta Rio has a doctorate in history with visiting professorships at the universities of Bologna, Vienna and Berlin. The method she uses in the analysis of places, she presented for the first time in 2011 at the University of Glasgow. The native Italian wrote numerous scientific papers and articles and lives in Carinthia and Bavaria.

A Secluded House


The sun was shining and it was still quite warm for October. The air smelled clean and fresh. The leaves still hanging on the trees were glowing in friendly shades of red and brown. I was happy - firstly because of the good weather and secondly about my upcoming working day.

I had an appointment in the north of Friuli with a client who had asked me to look at a house he had recently bought.

He had read an article in a newspaper about me and my work called “The Spirit of Places”. It was about how I research the history of properties, houses, buildings, but also cities and regions and draw conclusions for their current inhabitants. What patterns can be discerned in a place? For example, with regard to the health, the housing or the economic situation of the previous inhabitants? What could these patterns mean for the present inhabitants of the place?

When I got out of the car, I first took in the exterior of the building. It consisted of a fascinating mixture of wood, raw bricks and plastered masonry. It was a beautiful two-storey house from the 18th century, although it was obviously in need of restoration.

For me as a historian, 300 years is not too long a period. Often enough I have worked with much older buildings and houses, some of which are in a much worse condition. I love that. Standing in front of buildings that carry so much history is a very special feeling for me. To know that in every room, in every corner and at every window, very different events have taken place.

Moments in the lives of people, important as well as.

insignificant, that have made up long-lost destinies.

The atmosphere surrounding this house was idyllic. The property stood in the middle of a park, quite secluded, with no direct neighbours and no traffic to disturb the peace.

“Hello Roberta,” my client greeted me, a slim, athletic, good-looking man in his mid-fifties, maybe early sixties. He glanced down, “You sure have a cute companion.”

“Let me introduce you: This is Leya,” I said.

Leya wagged her tail happily as he stroked her head.

Generally, I proceed in the following way. I do a tour of a house with the owner and let him / her show me around. Then I go around