A ''ferro'' (plural ''ferri'') or is an item of functional

wrought-iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" t ...

work on the

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means 'frontage' or ' face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...

of an Italian building. ''Ferri'' are a common feature of

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

and

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought ...

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

and

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

. They are of three main types: have a ring for tethering horses, and are set at about from the ground; holders for

standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object t ...

and

torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In ...

es are placed higher on the façade and on the corners of the building; have a cup-shaped hook or hooks to support cloth for shade or to be dried, and are set near balconies. In Florence, ''ferri da cavallo'' and ''arpioni'' were often made to resemble the head of a lion, the symbolic ''

marzocco The ''Marzocco'' is the heraldic lion that is a symbol of Florence, and was apparently the first piece of public secular sculpture commissioned by the Republic of Florence, in the late 14th century. The lion stood at the heart of the city in ...

'' of the

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flo ...

. Later, cats, dragons, horses and fantastic animals were also represented. File:Photo_taken_in_Bargello_cortile.jpg,

Bargello The Bargello, also known as the Palazzo del Bargello, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, or Palazzo del Popolo (Palace of the People), was a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy. Terminology The word ''bargello'' appears ...

, Florence File:Ferri_from_two_ages.jpg, ''Ferro'' from two ages, Palazzo degli Altoviti, Florence File:Castello di montalto, loggetta, ferri 01.JPG, Castello di Montalto,

Castelnuovo Berardenga Castelnuovo Berardenga is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southeast of Florence and about east of Siena. Since 1932 it has been included in the Chianti wine-production area. The ...

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...

File:Ferro_on_facade_of_Palazzo_Morozzi_Dilaghi,_Florence.jpg,

Palazzo Morozzi Dilaghi A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

, Florence File:Ferro_from_Arezzo,_Italy.jpg, ''Ferro'' in

Arezzo Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the Province of Arezzo, province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation o ...

File:Portastendardo_by_Niccolo_Grosso_(Il_Caparra)_active_ca.1500.jpg,

Niccolò Grosso Niccolò di Noferi del SodoGrosso (''fl. c.'' 1500), also known as ''Il Caparra'' for his habit of asking for payment in advance, was one of the few Renaissance ironsmiths that we can identify. Fleming, John & Hugh Honour. (1977) ''The Penguin Di ...

- "Il Caparra" Palazzo Strozzi c.1500 File:Photograph_of_ferro_taken_in_Pisa,_Italy.jpg, "Ferro" in

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the ...

, Italy File:Rome (29278913).jpg, Standard-holder, Rome File:Borgo San Lorenzo-particolare su casa.jpg, Standard-holder,

Borgo San Lorenzo Borgo San Lorenzo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about northeast of Florence. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 18,085 and an area of .All demographics a ...

File:Palazzo degli altoviti 05, ferri.JPG, ''Arpione'', Palazzo degli Altoviti, Florence File:Portafiaccola, via de' giraldi.JPG,

Torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In ...

-holder, Via de' Giraldi, Florence

References

{{reflist, refs= .n.(2001)
Bisol: tra arte e tecnologia
(in Italian). ''Il Ferro Battuto'' 18 (unpaginated). Accessed October 2015. John Superti (20 June 2013)
Invisible horses: Rediscovering Florence's ferri.
''The Florentine'' (186/2014). Accessed October 2015. taff( 26 September 2014)
Gatti, cavalli e draghi sui muri di Firenze
(in Italian). ''Nove da Firenze''. Accessed October 2015.

References

Further reading