The “polvere Island”, ownership of the Province of Perugia, is nowadays used as a Scientific Park in the framework of the Park of Trasimeno Lake, and as such it is dedicated to the development of the research activities, experiences, education and environment didactics.
)
)
)
The didactic activities forecast the study of the territory under the historic – natural – anthropologic point of view and taking into account the techniques adopted in order to limit the impact of the human being activities during the various historic periods; the Island offers nowadays an example of environment management according to sustainability criteria.
To know more:
Official Link
The island
polvese.provincia.it
Official Link
Didactic activities
www.polvese.it
The island
It is located on the commune of Castiglione del Lago and it is the largest one with its 69,60 ha.
)
)
The Medieval Fortress: Probably the first part of the “polvesano castle”, it was made only of the small part dating back to the 13th century. Therefore one should not imagine such castle as a luxurious residence of some Lord, but rather as a structure located there to defend the polvesano village and as a shelter in case of necessity for its inhabitants.
The Garden of the Aquatic Plants: it has been realised in 1995 thanks to the architectonic and functional renovation performed by the Province of Perugia of a strange swimming pool designed in 1959 by Pietro Porcinai, one of the most important Italian landscape architect. Porcinai projected a swimming pool (Maximum deepness of 5,30 metres) entirely excavated in the rock and filled by the waters of the Trasimeno Lake that, submitted to particular techniques of filtering, reach an elevated degree of transparency.
)
Monastery of San Secondo: The presence of the monks on the "polvere Island" is reported in 1482 and therefore one should date the construction of their Monastery of San Secondo back to this date. It is almost certain that on the place where the monastery was built there was already other pre-existing settlement structures, in any case the structure of the monastery in the form it can be still admired nowadays is due without any doubt to the work of the monks.
Such a construction was realised in perpendicular with respect to the church, forming with this last one a structure with the form of a "L"; the cloister was realised in the corner delimitated on one side by the right wall of the church of San Secondo and on the other side by the wall of the monastery, protected from the cold sunset wind. By observing the monastery form the east side, the visitor is amazed by the three ogival mono holes of the chapter room located at the ground floor of the structure. Above these we find the small windows of the cells of the friars that were located on the second floor of the building. On the west façade, which means on the side of the church, almost entirely hidden by the ivy, we find the main entrance door, on which lintel is sculptured the stemma of the order of the friars (the "olivetano" order). The entire construction of the monastery was realised with the use of calcareous, sandstone and cotto; the succeeding building interventions during the course of the centuries are evident. The southern façade is in fact characterised by the mono hole of the 14th century, while the one of the north-west and the inside part, numerous and large, are due to the interventions of the 15th century. In 1624 the monks abandoned the monastery of San Secondo, and from then started its inevitable degradation.
In a first time it became the house of the parish of the Polvere Island and later on the residence of settlers, who transformed the chapter room in a warehouse and other rooms of the monastery in stables for the livestock. The Regional Government of Perugia approved the definitive project for the execution of the restoration regarding the entire complex of S. Secondo on diverse scales, which means of restoration, consolidation and safety security of the structures of the church and of restructure and functional recuperation of the spaces of the monastery. The final use destination of the spaces forecasts that the central part of the monastery, two floors for a total of 600 square metres, should be dedicated to a study centre for environment didactics with polyvalent activities. The project forecasts, on the ground floor, in the large living room that used to be the forestry of the monastery, the equipment of a convention room with ninety seating places. The room, of great architectonic interest, will become the main space of the entire complex. A library has been designed on the front part of the edifice. The spaces on the ground floor will be completed by stairs in order to access to the superior floors, of a lift for handicapped persons and of services. The mezzanine floor will be used as a reading room and as a cabin for simultaneous translation and video linked to the convention room. On the first floor will be located a room for 30/40 persons.
The Natural Oasis: The Polvere Island is made of three main environments: 1) the humid area, 2) the wood,3) the cultivations. The humid area is formed of a wrapper of hydrophytes surrounding the island in a discontinuous way. The wood covers an area on the northern side of the island corresponding to more or less 25% of the entire superficies. The central part of more or less 11 hectares is mainly made of Holm oaks (Quercus ilex) with some secular examples of roverella (Quercus pubescens): it is the “lecceta” of San Leonardo, so called after the church of the same name that was first located in this area.