«Sgraffito» is the name of the handicraft that adorns the Engadin houses and contributes to the unmistakable charm of the villagescape. Sgraffito art originated in the mid-17th century and can still be found in Engadin villages today. Learn more about the technique and what else is behind the decorations here.Typical of the Engadin house are the massive stone walls, often decorated with sgraffito, the deep windows, the bay window and the two entrance gates in the sulèr and the stable at the front. The Engadin house is rarely perceived as a stand-alone building, but is usually associated with the neighbouring houses. When the Engadin villages were razed to the ground in various wars and then rebuilt, the houses moved ever closer together. The villages were built as close together as possible in order to be better able to defend themselves and have more security. Since then, the individual houses have stood facing each other around small squares with fountains in the centre. They face the village square or the street and not the sun.