Large metal roofs in Italy at the end of the 19th century

The origins of iron and glass construction date back to the early 19th century when, in parallel with the changes affecting the world of building production, material technologies and construction techniques evolved. The construction sector, influenced by new discoveries, experimented with new building systems based on the combination of iron and glass - materials which until then had been little used in construction - creating structures in which “lightness and transparency” played a fundamental role in both technological and architectural choices. Many of the experiments carried out in Italy from the mid-19th century onwards belong to approach. The theme of large roofs, in particular, developed progressively in these years, finding its natural application mainly in city tunnels and railway stations. The nature of these buildings, characterized by large open spaces and large transparent surfaces, lends itself to technological, engineering and formal experimentation with metal structures combined with large glass roofs. Works of considerable interest can be found in the major provincial capitals such as Milan, Naples, Genoa, Florence, etc. This paper aims to highlight the significant and innovative aspects of iron and glass constructions built in Italy in the second half of the 19th century, also through the analysis of some representative works.