Monterenzio
Oggetto: Edilizia sparsa
Subject: Dispersed buildings
Toponym: Lavacchiello
Type: Houses with a porch
Municipality: Monterenzio
Description
It is one of the most interesting agglomeration of buildings in this part of the Bolognese Apennines.
Like others, it was originally built as a tower house in the 14th century. Another building portion was added in the following century, characterized by windows and doorways topped by pointed brick arches, clearly not of local derivation.
Two centuries later a third unit was added; both the first and third are endowed with a covered porch (balchio), made of stone masonry.
A door surmounted by a pointed arch leads out onto one of the porches; the keystone is decorated with a Maltese cross.
The other porch is flanked by a window whose architrave bears a battlemented tower in relief.
An oven is set in one of the porches; a small monolithic stone archivolt is set over the mouth.
According to the first survey, on the side toward the mountain there was a 15th-century dovecote with a large Gothic-style denticulate brick cornice.