Historical Use of Metal Tie-Rods in the Italian Territory: Treatises, Essays, and Manuals through Four Centuries of History.

The use of metal tie-rods in buildings is documented and visible in many Italian areas since the 15th century. An interdisciplinary study (Rita Vecchiattini-conservation, Carlo Battini-survey, Chiara Calderini-structure and Paolo Piccardo-metallurgy) on the metal tie-rods used in Italy in pre-industrial times began in Genoa in 2013 with the aim of expanding the knowledge of these elements. In this study, currently still underway, tie-rods are investigated with different methods, examining multiple aspects. This paper refers to the study of treatises, manuals and essays from the 15th to the early 20th century, mainly in the Italian context with some exceptions of certain foreign texts that, due to their diffusion and importance, have greatly influenced the technical literature on the subject. Technology is an expression of the social, economic, cultural, political and juridical events of a country and, as such, is deeply linked to the times and territories in which it develops. However, it is also closely linked to the laws of nature and to forms of communication, therefore it is useful to compare, underlining the analogies and differences, the knowledge and the ways of the productive and technical process in a long-term analysis.