The construction of trabocchi coastal fishing machines

In the history of the built environment certain phenomena often occur more or less homogeneously over long periods of time so as to stabilise their subsequent development. Thus in general they may become predictable even reassuring. More often however an event may create the conditions for accelerated and/or sudden changes. These in turn subject to chain reactions will cause deviations in a development which until then seemed immutable. One example of these dynamics is given by the history of the trabocchi wooden machines for coastal fishing. This study documents an important phenomenon that has marked the economy of the coastal populations and analyses some less explored constructive aspects (typologies choice of materials ways of assembling components devices maintenance procedures adaptation to new uses etc.). The volume gathers the results of a vast research conducted by the University of Florence (Department of Architecture). This extensive work is based on detailed survey campaigns and extensive documentation.