Guess what tubulo means?

A vase? A candle holder? No, we’ll tell you what it is: it’s a tubule (bubulo, in dialect).
It is a terracotta cylinder with a hole in the upper part, formerly used in the construction of the vaults of houses. The tubules were inserted instead of tuff or stones, because thanks to their lightness they allowed a significant reduction in the weight of the vault itself.
Furthermore, thanks to the air cavity inside them, they constituted an excellent thermal insulator.
The tubules were inserted vertically, one next to the other, and embedded in the mortar, achieving the dual purpose of lightening and thermally insulating the home (photo). Obviously, since they were more expensive elements than ordinary tuff or stone, the tubules were used only in the homes of the wealthiest (farms, noble palaces).
These were, therefore, elements that were already rare in the past. Today they are even more so after many have been ruined by time or destroyed during various renovation works.
However, some ancient tubules were saved and have now also become a very rare (and beautiful) piece of furniture.
At Corte Manfredi in Alessano there are some surviving tubules, currently used as design elements, scratched by lime and time, but still intact and proud.
They almost seem to want to convey to the guest who looks at it curiously wondering what it is about, that lightness that they have guarded for years..