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Here in the US, a lot of the exterior shutters we see are fixed-mounted, decorative, vinyl panels. Many Americans don’t give much thought to the functionality of shutters, but that’s not true at all in Italy! Ask an Italian about the shutters at home, and it’s doubtful that they’ll be describing these odd little plastic rectangles.
Curious about the striking differences between exterior shutters in the US and Italy? Che fortuna! We’ve got just the thing…
Let’s take a visual journey into the Tuscan streets, where shutters are still enjoyed as fully functional works of architectural art. For a shutter enthusiast, vacationing in Italy is a photographic dream: With every rise and set of the sun, exterior shutters open and close, shaping the shadows on cobblestone streets and rustic stone walls. Each building is adorned with unique shutters, every movement changing the scene.
Even a brief stroll through the picturesque streets of Tuscany offers a glimpse into a wide array of the beautiful, functional, and often historic shutters found in Italy. Continue ahead to see the many types of shutters in Italy and how they are used.
Italian shutters serve an important purpose. Most homes in Tuscany have shutters, and many of them do not have air conditioning. In Italy, shutters have an essential job: to preserve the cool air inside from being heated by the Mediterranean sun.
Tuscany’s buildings were constructed throughout all different eras in architecture and construction technology, creating a totally mixed bag of window shapes, sizes, and depths. The necessity of shutters to keep the home cool combined with a lack of standardized window sizes has given way to many varying types of shutters.
Many of us imagine shutters are opened in the morning to let the sunlight in. Of course, this does happen—but for temperature control, common practice is quite the opposite. Shutters are closed during the day to keep the cool night air inside, as well as to block sunlight.
In the evening, the shutters are opened to cambiare l’aria—in English, “change the air”—by allowing cool, evening breezes into the house. Before bed, however, Italians always close the shutters on their bedroom windows; one must avoid il colpo d’aria—literally, “a hit of air”—because having the wind blow directly is widely believed to cause a host of maladies, such as indigestion, toothaches, or even a stiff neck!
Throughout the streets, you’ll see many variations of shutter styles. Some are even sliding shutters, recessed in such a way that they disappear into the wall like a pocket door when opened.
Another familiar design seen all over Tuscany and the US is the louver shutter. Its vented construction allows breezes to pass through while closed, stirring the air inside whenever a gust comes along. Each of these examples has its own beauty: the natural wood finish and deep-set, wide louvers create rich texture and visual interest, while the bi-fold shutters’ teal hue gives these windows a cool pop of color.
Others have more familiar designs, like these handsomely framed board and batten shutters. On the rear, you can see the typical construction of wood planks side by side, while the front features a two-panel frame around them. The resulting appearance is similar to a flat panel shutter with v-groove detail.
One of the more distinct styles seen in Tuscany is this dual-function louver shutter. These open out, as shutters usually do, but also have a lower portion that can be opened upward like an awning, creating a bottom vent. This historic stone building features some truly unique shutters. Not only do they have the awning-like bottom vents, but are also floor-length, with radius-top construction to fit the tall, arched windows perfectly.
Italians do enjoy their balconies. All the better if they’re filled with flowers! Many homes will feature door height windows with short banisters that function as balconies. Here, too, shutters come in a variety of designs. Some are solid panels; others are louvered; still others combine the two. The important thing they all have in common? Allowing access to il piccolo giardino (the tiny garden) that floats above the Tuscan street.
Want to take a little piece of Italian shutter culture home?
Be sure to check out Timberlane’s new European Hardware Collection featuring fine Italian hardware, imported for installation on your home here in the US.
