1. House of Horrors Part III: House of Horrors - The external surroundings

2. House of Horrors This is the next in the open work-in-progress (already some elements of prior presentations are subject to updating or correction) of presentations concerning the Giallo de Perugia. The situations presented here are with ideas or event relationships which are not necessarily of my own. I have rather served as a graphic scribe of the excellent multi-point-of-view, multi- timezone, and multi-cultural discussion resulting from Steve Huffs True Crime Weblog on this tragedy: http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/.http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/ This presentation concerning the external situation of the house at the centre of the Giallo makes less (hardly any) reference to specific elements of the case, than others. Its objective is to set the physical / geographical scene for the tragic circumstances of the crime. Since the victim has no means to reply to any comments herein or scenarios described in other presentations, and the repeated use of her name in this context would only further hurt anyone close to her, I refer to her simply as the victim. This is not meant by any means to trivialise the pain and suffering, and butal senseless murder she experienced, nor to reduce her memory. That was Meryl Streep on the cover slide, in the movie A French Lieutenants Woman. In the book by John Fowles (better than the movie) there are 3 forks / endings to the story. In the Giallo di Perugia, as we go through the scenarios of what may have happened in the crime, I can only hope that there will be one single ending, that justice is served to those responsible for each of the crimes which may be determined by the ILE. I am buoyed by the fact that the victims family has expressed confidence in the Italian justice system. - Kermit krmt123@gmail.com

3. House of Horrors Dont it always seem to go, that you dont know what youve got til its gone … Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi The house. The girls house. AK was ecstatic about it in her blog. And the truth is, it seems like it was quite a neat place. In the early days of November as news seeped / filtered out concerning the Giallo, I needed to better visualise the house situation, both inside and out. Inside, thanks to segments of a houseplan seen on Italian TV, we could get a feel for the general layout of the cottage (the internal floorplan is being updated, will come out as a second part to this presentation). Externally, I wanted to relate the house to the town, something which is relatively easy, given the availability of on-line maps, and the timelines of key movements and locations weve compiled on the blog. There is another geographical dimension to the Giallo, however, which is the subject of this presentation: the house itself, why is it there, what is its background, are there any particular characteristics of the house or its location which could contribute to the crime? As in many projects, Ive had to cut off the development of this presentation. I had started to get references to mysteries, legends and bad-vibes in Perugia (for anything unrelated to the Giallo, its obligatory to google with the -Knox -Sollecito flag). But I think its better and well get more value out of the presentation, to get this out the door right now, having only very partially met the initial objective, and allow the True Crime Webloggers to discuss it, and orient any further presentations on the subject. That said, Perugia, and what Im calling the Northern Cwm, is very special. From the underground Etruscan tombs in the area, to the pagan Roman temples, to the Templar knight presence (just up the road from RSs place), to Mother Nature rocking the ground on a regular basis, and many more natural and historical events.

4. House of Horrors THE LOCATION OF THE HOUSE: A glance at a modern map of Perugia reinforces the understanding that it is an old, walled city. (The wall is indicated by the black line here.) Interestingly, if we ZOOM in, the girls house itself appears on this map …

5. House of Horrors Interestingly, if we ZOOM in, the girls house itself appears on this map … outside of the old city walls, and at the top of the Fosso del Bulagaio ravine... House of Horrors Girls house The ravine is called the Fosso del Bulagaio. The stream which carves the ravine as well. The name Bulagiao could have different explanations: bugliare = throw waste; bulicame = vein of water; buligame = depth The actual stream starts in the dense foliage just below the girls house.

6. House of Horrors Interestingly, if we ZOOM in, the girls house itself appears on this map … outside of the old city walls, and at the top of the Fosso del Bulagaio ravine … …between the old city gates Porta Bulagaio and Porta SantAntonio. Be it originally a house or an orchard storage shed, it (like other extramural constructions) was not afforded the protection of the city walls. Girls house

7. House of Horrors It is difficult to find a good photo from ground level of the ravine the girls house was in, and virtually impossible to find old photos of that specific point. If you go much further back in time, to the early 1500s and the papal Salt War, this sort of painted murals show the situation of Perugia. The Etruscans, Romans and Popes werent stupid (at least in what is related to selecting sites for strategic towns). Perugia is up on a prominent hill which offers natural protective barriers. With stone walls surrounding it, extended and pushed out as time passed, it was a fortress city. Im not sure of the angle from which this map was created. The square tower in the middle and the adjoining long roof to the left seem to be the San Lorenzo cathedral. If (big if) were looking directly from the North, then that lush gully right in front of us is the amphitheatre where the girls house is now situated (obviously not here yet – in fact no houses or other construction are shown outside of the wall). Dont analyse this too much, the resolution is too poor. I burned out my eyes looking for such prominent civil (as opposed to religious) constructions as the Etruscan Arch.

8. House of Horrors In 1626 Jodocus Jr. published a collection of engraved maps of Italian cities, including this one of Perugia Perusia Gratum Musis in Tuscia Domicilium. By this time it seems map makers finally understood the importance of presenting depth. The girls house is not yet depicted. Presumibly there is still nothing there yet, because we do start to see other buildings outside of the city walls. Also note the complete city walls, as in the older map, which definitely exist on the northern edge of town (and around the rest of the city), in particular at the top of the girls ravine (what is now the upper edge of the carpark).

9. House of Horrors In 1626 Jodocus Jr. published a collection of engraved maps of Italian cities, including this one of Perugia Perusia Gratum Musis in Tuscia Domicilium. By this time it seems map makers finally understood the importance of presenting depth. The girls house is not yet depicted. Presumibly there is still nothing there yet, because we do start to see other buildings outside of the city walls. Also note the complete city walls, as in the older map, which definitely exist on the northern edge of town (and around the rest of the city), in particular at the top of the girls ravine (what is now the upper edge of the carpark). San Domenico (I point it out to help orient us with the next map) Via Alessi (Le Chic pub) Cathedral and fountain Via Ulisse Rocchi with Etruscan Arch at bottom Corso Garibaldi (RSs street) Piazza Grimana Via Pinturicchio Porta SantAntonio (c. 1270) Site of future Porta Bulagaio (not constructed until 1765) Approx. Location of girls house San Pietro (I point it out to help orient us with the next map)

10. House of Horrors This map is from around 1700. As a map, there is much more graphic detail and in addition there is a legend for the principal buildings. Thanks to the detail, we see that this map is definitely viewed from the East (sorry, that doesnt help us much with our endeavour). Note the orchards, and in particular, the apparition of more farm houses, and other constructions outside of the city walls.

11. House of Horrors This map is from around 1700. As a map, there is much more graphic detail and in addition there is a legend for the principal buildings. Thanks to the detail, we see that this map is definitely viewed from the East (sorry, that doesnt help us much with our endeavour). Note the orchards, and in particular, the apparition of more farm houses, and other constructions outside of the city walls. San Pietro (contrast with position in prior map) San Domenico (contrast with position in prior map)

12. House of Horrors We jump from paintings to the era of photography. This photo is c. 1890, from the top of the Via delle Prome stone staircase. The Palazzo Gallenga (Foreigners University) is on the left and the SantAgostino church forms part of the city walls on the right. Shame that the photographer didnt pan a little more to the right, towards the girls house, which by this time almost certainly existed … or at least some part of it.

13. House of Horrors We do see something very interesting and important: the road ramping up from the Porta Bulagaio, built on top of the city wall. The wall itself is free of earth on the outside: there are several meters of drop there. (Keep this mind, later well refer to it). We jump from paintings to the era of photography. This photo is c. 1890, from the top of the Via delle Prome stone staircase. The Palazzo Gallenga (Foreigners University) is on the left and the SantAgostino church forms part of the city walls on the right. Shame that the photographer didnt pan a little more to the right, towards the girls house, which by this time almost certainly existed … or at least some part of it. Porta Bulagaio

14. House of Horrors Lets try again, from a different angle outside of the city walls, in this photo c. 1920-1930. Looks like the photographer is perched in some sort of orchard, and … alas … once again we seem to just miss the girls cottage by a 150 meters or so off to the right.

15. House of Horrors The tower on the left is the Santa Maria Nuova church on Via Pinturicchio (the victim turned the corner there after leaving her friend Sophie in Via Roscetto). On the far right, the stone staircase of Via delle Prome. Lets try again, from a different angle outside of the city walls, in this photo c. 1920-1930. Looks like the photographer is perched in some sort of orchard, and … alas … once again we seem to just miss the girls cottage by a 150 meters or so off to the right. Guesstimate on where vertical wall joins rising orchard terrain Via delle Prome

16. House of Horrors The tower on the left is the Santa Maria Nuova church on Via Pinturicchio (the victim turned the corner there after leaving her friend Sophie in Via Roscetto). On the far right, the stone staircase of Via delle Prome. Lets try again, from a different angle outside of the city walls, in this photo c. 1920-1930. Looks like the photographer is perched in some sort of orchard, and … alas … once again we seem to just miss the girls cottage by a 150 meters or so off to the right. Guesstimate on where vertical wall joins rising orchard terrain Via delle Prome San Tommaso convent - Reference point A (for next images) San Tommaso convent - Reference point B (for next images)

17. House of Horrors We continue to modern times, looking for a vantage point not based on a helicopter, airplane or satellite, from where to view the girls house. And once again, were disappointed. We know were standing virtually above the house, and yet all we can really see in the photo to the left is the SantAgostino church, and lower down, the Porta Bulagaio almost totally blocked out by green vegetation. In the photo to the right (the tall tower of Santa Maria Nuova cant be seen – its off screen further to right) we can see the reference points of the San Tommaso convent referred to in the prior slide. This tourist took these two panning shots, which we could stitch together with photo software, and yet the girls place is no where to be seen. (While were here, lets point out Porta SantAntonio, far right)

18. House of Horrors San Tommaso convent - Reference point A San Tommaso convent - Reference point B Porta Bulagaio We continue to modern times, looking for a vantage point not based on a helicopter, airplane or satellite, from where to view the girls house. And once again, were disappointed. We know were standing virtually above the house, and yet all we can really see in the photo to the left is the SantAgostino church, and lower down, the Porta Bulagaio almost totally blocked out by green vegetation. In the photo to the right (the tall tower of Santa Maria Nuova cant be seen – its off screen further to right) we can see the reference points of the San Tommaso convent referred to in the prior slide. This tourist took these two panning shots, which we could stitch together with photo software, and yet the girls place is no where to be seen. (While were here, lets point out Porta SantAntonio, far right) SantAgostino Porta SantAntonio

19. House of Horrors San Tommaso convent - Reference point A San Tommaso convent - Reference point B Porta Bulagaio CONCLUSION: CONCLUSION: if we dont have an aerial platform, we would have to be in the frontline of houses (and not necessarily even then, as well see) or in a window around the SantAgosto church (on left) or in San Tommaso (on right) to see the girls house from an urban vantage point. We continue to modern times, looking for a vantage point not based on a helicopter, airplane or satellite, from where to view the girls house. And once again, were disappointed. We know were standing virtually above the house, and yet all we can really see in the photo to the left is the SantAgostino church, and lower down, the Porta Bulagaio almost totally blocked out by green vegetation. In the photo to the right (the tall tower of Santa Maria Nuova cant be seen – its off screen further to right) we can see the reference points of the San Tommaso convent referred to in the prior slide. This tourist took these two panning shots, which we could stitch together with photo software, and yet the girls place is no where to be seen. (While were here, lets point out Porta SantAntonio, far right) SantAgostino Porta SantAntonio

20. House of Horrors Lets terminate the visual search for a view of the girls house with this true 180 degree photo from our high perch on Via Prome (stone staircase). This was one of the first photos I dug up, and I was disappointed that the photographer didnt pan down just a little more. Later I realized that his cut-off point was determined by the roof tops of the frontline row of houses. We would never be able to get the city-based house view we were looking for. Porta Bulagaio Porta SantAntonio

21. House of Horrors So, lets jump in an airplane and rise above the buildings …

22. House of Horrors San Tommaso convent - Reference point B San Tommaso convent - Reference point A Base of belltower, Santa Maria Nuova Via delle Prome Old city walls Via Pinturicchio Im sure I dont have to tell you that this is the girls house... At last! We see it! A fast reminder of reference points …

23. House of Horrors San Tommaso convent - Reference point B San Tommaso convent - Reference point A Base of belltower, Santa Maria Nuova Via delle Prome Old city walls Im sure I dont have to tell you that this is the girls house... At last! We see it! I dont know about you, but to me it looks like they paved Paradise and they put up a parking lot. Im convinced that in the past, what is now the Via SantAntonio (the asphalted road below the Old City Walls) was at most just a dusty track, which if followed all the way east (upwards on this photo) for a kilometer or so, would give the cottage dwellers (and the dwellers of a couple other cottages on the way) access to the city through the old city gate Porta SantAntonio. The track would have stopped at the girls cottage, because of the steepness of the gully, and because I believe there was not yet any ramp up to surmount the city wall, and join into the Piazza Grimana (basketball court). Offscreen to the lower left, the Porta Bulagaio is much closer, but 1) it didnt exist until 1765 (if there was some construction on the site of the cottage by then), and 2) the terrain is extremely steep, especially because of the vertical city walls coming up from that Porta (as seen in the c. 1890 photo) Via Pinturicchio A fast reminder of reference points …

24. House of Horrors What if someone took away that carpark and the asphalt … would we return to Paradise? (just in case there are youngsters out there, or some cultural barriers, the Paradise reference is to the Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi, nice lyrics, check them out)

25. House of Horrors Paradise has always been depicted as an orchard, and it may well be that before the house was buried, that the sun shone, fruit was harvested, and there was good visual communication amongst all the inhabitants of the Northern Cwm. What if someone took away that carpark and the asphalt … would we return to Paradise? (just in case there are youngsters out there, or some cultural barriers, the Paradise reference is to the Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi, nice lyrics, check them out)

26. House of Horrors This is roadmaking at its easiest: just dump the asphalt on the farming terraces (okay, Im simplifying a little, but thats pretty much it) Cars exit on this side of the carpark. Lowest level three is not underground, but rather exits flat onto Via SantAntonio, which is OUTSIDE and BELOW the city wall Via SantAntonio is actually a viaduct / bridge here, as witnessed by the image of reinforced concrete support columns and beams. I hope no human or animal vermin hang out in the manmade cave created there. Via SantAntonio starts here, ON TOP OF the city wall (the girls cottage at times has a Via SantAntonio address instead of Via Pergola). Had it not been a sort of ring road (to take pressure off internal city streets), it could have followed the wall upwards, following the same path as what is now the entrance ramp for the top level of the car park (photo above). The entrance to the lowest level of the carpark is a down ramp Landfill here against the city wall Girls parking area is a landfill platform

27. House of Horrors

28. This image fills me with many, many contrasting and some contradictory feelings. I wont bore you with further references of places. If you dont have it, get the prior Powerpoint through Steve Huffs TrueCrimeWeblog discussion on concerning the suspects movements on Nov.1, to recall Via Roscetto, Via Ulisse Rocchi, the Etruscan Arch, the Foreigners University, Piazza Grimana, Corso Garibaldi, Via Pinturicchio, Via Melo, the metal stairs, the cottage... all seen here. http://www.haloscan.com/comments/truecrimeweblog/8299773531507317890/ Its Paradise, complete with terraced fruit crops (in the past), and yet something went wrong.

29. House of Horrors

30. Real quick, modern image of Porta Bulagaio … its not the issue for this presentation, but I dont think any suspects went running down this road after the crime, into the darkness of the unilluminated, non- pedestrian countryroad … with the stolen mobile phones in their hands (instead, they ran through the streets of Perugia)

31. House of Horrors Note the lush vegetation which reaches up to the outer edge of the city walls in the Porta Bulagiao area. We see the same growth in the prior high aerial image. This contrasts with the several meters of drop from the outer edge of the wall which we see in the c. 1890 photo. Old city walls Im referring to this vegetation

32. House of Horrors Porta Bulagaio If you look closely, it appears that there has been some landfill here, which may not be surprising as Perugia is in an active seismic area, and there is extensive tracking of even minor landslides. Perhaps by dumping dirt here and letting the plants grow wildly, it helps stabilise the terrain, and in particular, supports the old city wall here.

33. House of Horrors Porta Bulagaio If you look closely, it appears that there has been some landfill here, which may not be surprising as Perugia is in an active seismic area, and there is extensive tracking of even minor landslides. Perhaps by dumping dirt here and letting the plants grow wildly, it helps stabilise the terrain, and in particular, supports the old city wall here. Porta Bulagaio

34. House of Horrors Porta Bulagaio Is all this that important as regards the house and its history? Why yes, as well see that the wall below the houses, behind the carpark, was about as high as in the black and white photo on the left. And that of the carparks three levels, the lowest one is not underground but simply built sitting on top of the orchard terrain. In other words, the carpark (three levels) is as high as the city wall in that area. If you look closely, it appears that there has been some landfill here, which may not be surprising as Perugia is in an active seismic area, and there is extensive tracking of even minor landslides. Perhaps by dumping dirt here and letting the plants grow wildly, it helps stabilise the terrain, and in particular, supports the old city wall here. Porta Bulagaio

35. House of Horrors Now its the turn of Porta SantAntonio

36. House of Horrors Now its the turn of Porta SantAntonio... lets ZOOM in

37. House of Horrors Now its the turn of Porta SantAntonio... lets ZOOM in Access to the town from the cottage area in the past would have been along a track that would have followed the base of the wall, where the terrain is somewhat flatter, all the way to the Porta SantAntonio. Porta SantAntonio

38. House of Horrors And you know something... that seems to be the way it was. This image is from c. 1920-1930... so recent!! Theres no Via SantAntonio outside of the city wall, no asphalt, just a track from Porta SantAntonio along the base of the wall and at the top of the terracing... to the garden of Paradise

39. House of Horrors By the time we get to the 1950s, there are additional modern apartment buildings in the SantAntonio neighbourhood. And theres still no asphalt or Via SantAntonio (the earthen track is barely visible – if at all – in the shadow of the wall).

40. House of Horrors Parting shots (modern shots) of the Porta SantAntonio.

41. House of Horrors Parting shots (modern shots) of the Porta SantAntonio.

42. House of Horrors The House House of Horrors

43. Back at the beginning of this case, we saw time after time the same images and video from journalists perched on the edge of the Via SantAntonio or on the carpark above the house, watching the movements of the ILE (and the Happy Couple) as they initiated the investigation. It was quickly apparent that the house had been constructed in parts: The central core with Filomenas room and window (on left) and Lauras room and window (on right) seem to have a different texture (of stone work), whitewash weathering and roof construction, compared to the perpendicular extension behind the house, where the foreign girls rooms and the balcony are located. Additionally, the lean-to roof above the uniformed police officers in the left photo and the niche of the main bathroom window on the right, lead one to believe that that section of the house (entrance way and main bathroom section) is a later extension on to the central core as well.

44. House of Horrors After stitching together sections of the house floorplan (from Enrico Mentanas Matrix program), we got a good idea of the house. (I used this for the first version of the floorplan. The general dimensions and layout of that plan were correct, but not necessarily the assumptions I made concerning furniture and bathroom fixtures.) First of all, theres immediate confirmation of the central core concept. The foreign girls extension was quite obvious from outside photos (different style roof, different exterior wall texture, different roof tiles...). But now, this floor plan also confirms the addition of what I call the washing room and the main bathroom (lower horizontal segment on this floorplan) as another posterior addition to the central core. Also, tantalisingly, the central core walls are thicker than the other walls of the house.

45. House of Horrors Closer images of the two ends of the central core highlight the different textures compared to the other (newer) parts of the house. Here on the right hand (east, Lauras room) external housewall, the wall structure appears to be of stone work: many different stones of various sizes and shapes.

46. House of Horrors Hmmm... When we go to the other (west) side of the house, we also see stonework in the central core, at least in the only partially visible, lower (orchard) ground level floor (the boys flat). (We actually know almost nothing about their level, from an architectural point of view. Hangups of mine: there has to be a fireplace down there, or location of an old one.) Theres definitely stonework around the boys central core window (the different stone shapes are visible). But the upper level of the central core on this side (Filomenas room) seems to be made either with very regular sized stones or a sort of large, flat construction brick. Maybe the lower boys floor was built first of all (as a shepards hut or small orchard storage shed?) of stone, then Lauras room was built on top, also of stone, then the upper living room and Filomenas room were added, using building material with a regular form.

47. House of Horrors In a minute well come back to the possibility of different stonework in the upper west end of the central core. Lets first try to imagine what this end of the house looked like with just the central core...... as for the ground floor having stone walls, and half of the girls floor with stone walls and the other half with some sort of bricks, that seems to be reflected in the Matrix floorplan a couple of screens back, where Lauras walls are extra thick, Filomenas are less so, and the rest of the house walls are the least thick of all. So... do houses like this really exist? They would be very narrow (just the width of a bed, plus an equivalent empty space, plus the width of a desk).

48. House of Horrors If we had a two-floor central core, our man in the street would have to drop from Via SantAntonio asphalt level (equivalent to the edge of the roof clay tiles) down a few meters to get to orchard level.

49. House of Horrors If we had a two-floor central core, our man in the street would have to drop from Via SantAntonio asphalt level (equivalent to the edge of the roof clay tiles) down a few meters to get to orchard level.

50. House of Horrors I cant really imagine that the house at any point in time had a complete lower floor constructed of stonework and only one small room – Lauras The external observation of an apparent change in building material on the upper west end of the house is supported by the Matrix floorplan a couple of screens back, where Lauras walls are extra thick, Filomenas are less so, and the rest of the house walls are the least thick of all. on the right – on the upper floor (also of stone). At the most, I could imagine one complete lower floor first, as some kind of orchard or shepards hut, and then one complete floor of stone added to the house on top of that at some point in time. What could explain a carved stone-brick construction on the west end of the upper house? Try this possibility: the whole central core (2 complete floors) was constructed of stone, and then the left upper end fell apart / collapsed due to an earthquake. (Many many buildings in Perugia have suffered that exact process). With the passage of time, when it was reconstructed, building techniques had passed from using unsculpted (raw) stone, to sculpted stonebricks (or semi-irregular clay bricks).

51. House of Horrors Do taylored or scuplted stone bricks exist? I dont know if thats what theyre called in the construction sector, but we can google up all types of buildings that use them. Do earthquakes hit the Perugia area? You bet, and on a regular basis. We all remember the collapse recorded on a tourists video of the roof ot the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (you can see Assisi from Perugia, looking south-east) during the earthquake of Sept. 27, 1997)

52. House of Horrors From the real estate site: This old house is an elegant old building 200 years old and constructed with basalt stones, surrounded by the rolling hills and typical characteristics of the Tuscan Umbrian countryside. Wise local craftsmen have worked using materials of the place of first choice... clay floors, roof tiles, old beams and ceilings... bathrooms are simple and refined and maintain the old marble sinks dating to 1800.... The land around the property is specially evocative, given some of the caves and quarries in the area, some dating from the Etruscan period, and wonderful walks. A perfect place to spend a delightful holiday, absorbed in reading a book or relaxing meditation. Heres another stone house for sale in Umbria. Note that the closest wing looks surprisingly like the central core of the girls house. However, its a little bit wider than Filomenas bedroom (the width of the girls cottages central core). House of Horrors So... do other houses like the cottage really exist? They would be very narrow (just the width of a bed, plus an equivalent empty space, plus the width of a desk). Lets check out Umbrian real estate sites. These houses are kind of like the girls place in design and construction, although its clear the Northern Cwm cottage is tiny... the Newsweek writer who called it a palazzo got it all wrong.

53. House of Horrors http://www.architectureweek.com/2002/0130/building_1-1.html For the past two years, students from the United States have gathered in a small village in northern Italy to participate in an unusual experience the preservation of a built environment that has changed little since medieval times …. Faculty and students at the University of Oregon have established a historic preservation Italy Field School Program in the Ossola Valley village of Canova ….Italy Field School Program In reference to the work he does on these houses, (Ken) Marquardt prefers the term "continuation" to "preservation." He notes: "These buildings have been changing and adapting for centuries, and the work being done here continues that process in a sensitive way. The buildings are organic in the broadest sense growing naturally over time and responding to the environment and the needs of their inhabitants. The notion of freezing them in time is contrary to their nature as dwellings to be lived in and used." …. Beneath a shallow layer of topsoil is granite bedrock; often houses grow directly out of hillside outcroppings. There are numerous variations, but the typical sectional organization places a cantina at the base, usually partially underground, with a vaulted or cross-vaulted ceiling. This creates an intriguing environment dimly lit and always cool where the wine is pressed and stored. Heres an American university program for the restoration of old Italian stone houses (text highlighting is mine) (Image on left from Architectureweek.com article ref. typical Italian stonehouse construction) For as tiny as the girls house is, it is perched on a steep ravine, and needs some sort of foundation. A cellar too?

54. House of Horrors

56. This upper part of the Cwm is a sort of amphitheatre, with the sun always behind the houses, as a sort of theatrical spotlight shining upon the cottage. In the past, in the time of Paradise - with no parking lot nor Via SantAntonio-, the neighbours would always know what was going on there With the frontline houses enhancing the amphitheatre effect, it would be of interest to know in the past if sounds were somehow amplified or modified. Nowadays, however, the carpark blocks the view (remember the image with the ILE agent between the house and the concrete girders of the viaduct / bridge?) and noise. Given the stone structure of the house, and its condition of being buried in asphalt and concrete, on the night of the Giallo, I doubt the screams that the neighbours heard were the victims (sorry for the Indonesian rice paddies in my transformation of the Northern Cwm to how it may have been in the past)

57. House of Horrors Both in the old days (photo on left, c. 1920-1930) or in modern times (in the right photo, the Giardini del Campaccio – outside of the city walls to the west of Corso Vannucci), the terraces and orchards that slope up to the walls have provided a bucolic environment and lifestyle.

58. House of Horrors Perhaps theres no rational or mathematical explanation to the undeniable factor in the Giallo that came from the cottages location in the Northern Cwm and the houses structure. Just as humans try to predict the weather, and then suffer unexpected mists, the only consolation for the general population is that the mists will recede someday and the sun will shine again. How sad, though, for the victim and her family. But the cottage didnt rape, humiliate, murder, and then desecrate the victims corpse and try to cover up the crime.