Agliano: an Italian village of houses with expressive looks (12 photos)

Architect Lodovico Alessandri is fighting to preserve the unique "faces" of the houses in Agliano. These anthropomorphic facades, according to locals, protect against evil forces.





When architect Lodovico Alessandri first saw Agliano in 1994, he was overcome with a feeling of melancholy and disappointment. And what emotions could a ruined village, lost among the hills of Basilicata, on the instep of the Italian "boot" evoke?



Previously, similar feelings were experienced by the artist Carlo Levi, exiled here for his anti-fascist views. In his book "Christ Stopped at Eboli", translated into 30 languages, he described the poverty of southern Italian peasants.





Lodovico Alessandri

But the strange charm of these places captivated both of them. Levi, born in northern Italy, bequeathed to be buried in Agliano.



Alessandri dedicated his life to the revival of the village, including the restoration of the Levi house, where everything has remained untouched since the 1930s.

The mystery of the houses with eyes



Monument to Carlo Levi

Amidst the ruins, the architect noticed an unusual detail: many houses seemed to be looking at passers-by. Mouth-arches, nose-pipes and eye-windows create expressive faces – scared, surprised, gloomy. Locals call them case con gli occhi – “houses with eyes”.



Alessandri is sure that this is not a coincidence. The symmetry is too precise. According to his theory, the facades resemble apotropaic masks, which in ancient times protected buildings from evil forces. Houses with eyes seem to say: if you look at me with evil, I will answer in kind.



Over the years, the unique houses, alas, disappear. Some were destroyed by landslides, since the village stands on unstable clay soils. Others lost their appearance during repairs. In Piazza Garibaldi, of the five eyed facades, only one has survived. It was saved by Alessandri himself, who convinced the builders not to replace the "nose" pipe with ventilation.



One of the most expressive houses, which inspired his book "The House with Eyes", collapsed a few years ago.



This anthropomorphic house in Agliano was rebuilt according to the design of the architect Lodovico Alessandri. It currently houses a pizzeria and guest rooms for tourists

Today, only a few anthropomorphic houses remain in the village. Two have been restored: one in the square, the other is the reconstructed entrance to the village, where a pizzeria now operates. The local authorities are buying up the old buildings to create a hotel with rooms in the historic buildings.



This house, which Alessandri loved so much, is no more

For now, the "eyes" of the houses watch the streets closely, waiting for the revival and renewal of their ancient souls.





In Piazza Garibaldi in Agliano, there were several houses with eyes until the 1990s. Today, only this one remains