The village is situated in a gorge above the source of the Alibeg river. The old core of the village (defined by Strada Principala or Main, Doubí, Spáleniště and Na Englicku streets) is characterised by regularly laid out streets, probably surveyed by military surveyors. The street layout corresponds to the army's instructions for the construction of new villages in the border area with the Ottoman Empire. The younger settlements then spread out along the roads into the countryside.
The basic organisational unit of the village is a small farm. In addition to these, the settlement also includes smaller craftsmen’s homesteads and independent houses. In most cases today, the longer side of the buildings faces the street, with plastered or decoratively tiled facades. Residential buildings are either brick or with walls of rammed earth. The outbuildings may also be constructed as a frame of wooden timbers covered by planks, sheet metal, etc.
An older house facing the street with its gable. (Photo by R. Urbánek, 1997.)
The building you are standing in front of represents a remarkable house typical for St. Helena. Originally, the windows of the living rooms only faced the courtyard, not the street. Only the kitchen window faces the street. Because of its position on a steep slope, the building is partly built underground. The walls are constructed using a traditional local technique whereby the clay with chaff or straw is gradually packed down between two planks. The ground floor is divided into three parts. The veranda, locally called “konk”, leads to the kitchen room – the heart of the house – through which you can enter the other rooms. The parlour originally had no heating and was built as an extension of the house. The room was furnished with more lavish furniture and has a view of the garden. The heated front parlour is situated next to the street.
💭 click on the image for more details
Projekt byl podpořen z prostředků Ministerstva zahraničních věcí ČR v rámci projektů veřejné diplomacie.
