MEDIEVAL BRICK‐BUILDING IN THE CENTRAL ALPS*

Since Roman times, the Alpine area has been the scene of all movements in brick construction—certainly only in a few places, but always at a high technical and aesthetic level. This is all the more surprising as in the mountain areas sufficient stone material is available in a suitable quality for building. Obviously, brick materials displayed overwhelming advantages. Via the mediation of the Church and the secular managerial class, the latent capacity of brick technology was able to rapidly gain a foothold as ideas began to flow internationally. Every era has discovered particular advantages in the use of brick and has expressed them in its architecture.