Gabella gate: the architectural restoration that stitches together time

The ancient village on the hills

Ripa Teatina is a beautiful village perched on the hills of the province of Chieti which, thanks to its vestiges of ancient civilization, impresses visitors and transports them into the past, on a fascinating journey through time. Due to its elevated position, since the first settlements, the village has proved to be a very useful strategic outpost and this distinctly military vocation was maintained even during the Middle Ages: evidence of this is the sturdy city walls and a network of watchtowers.

The gates of the fortified city were demolished during the Second World War, leaving an urban void and a disconnection between the defensive structures and the connecting structures of the historic center.

Where once stood Gabella gate, there was only a wide staircase. Through historical research, the study of floor plans and photographic evidence, it was possible to reconstruct the original appearance of the gate. It was found to be connected to the adjacent building by means of a transverse masonry structure, which allowed direct passage between the two structures, making all floors of the Tower accessible.

The restoration intervention on Porta Gabella

The destroyed Porta Gabella in Ripa Teatina has been re-proposed by Rocco Valentini Architecture, a studio specialized in architectural restoration projects, with the insertion of an architectural element well distinguishable from the context, a structure in corten steel, enclosed by an envelope formed by vertical ropes, through a contemporary language imbued with echoes and reflections of medieval architectures.

A dreamlike and timeless vision

The concept proposes a dreamlike interpretation of the medieval gate, its shape suggests the metaphorical image of two stylized doors opening outward.

The suspended walkways, connecting the various structures, are inspired by medieval wooden walkways attached to the fortification walls that allowed for passage between defensive towers.

The purpose was to mend and rebuild the urban fabric with a multifunctional structure capable of connecting ancient spaces and pedestrian paths of the historic center, a structure able to transform into an outdoor stage for artistic and musical performances.

From the ground floor of the Tower, through the existing underground tunnel, one can access the rooms of the adjacent building and, via a new staircase and walkways made of corten steel sheets, reach the upper floors of the Aragonese tower, the garrison rooms, and the alleys of the historic center.

A redevelopment project started 20 years ago

The redevelopment project of the historic center of Porta Gabella started in 2002 from the will of the administrators of that time. The process carried on with tenacity until today began with the recovery of the Aragonese tower that closes the historic center to the south, continued with the recovery of the Franciscan convent, and since 2008 a series of interventions on the Gabella tower have been started.

Intervention on the Aragonese Tower

The idea was to propose a transparent volume that is also material and functional, interpreted with a contemporary and metaphorical language with chromatic elements, echoes, and suggestions from the past, of suspended wooden walkways, battlements, ropes, and other elements of medieval defensive architecture.

The fundamental idea was that the new architectural element should not hide or overshadow the historical defensive structures that have survived to this day.

Another objective was to create a pivotal element between the narrow streets of the historic center and the main road of Ripa Teatina.

It was decided to make the upper levels of the tower accessible by inserting a corten steel structure, which, with its shape, reinterprets the image of the ancient building connecting and providing access to the Tower. It will be possible to create suspended paths that will connect the entire Tower with the adjacent building, a metaphor for internal wooden connections within the fortification walls. A vertical and horizontal path that leads from the underground levels to the top of the Tower, with alternating passages between indoor and outdoor spaces.