Courtyard Work - removing the original bread oven

RENOVATING

Removing the Original Bread Oven

Entering the large double wooden gates to the the lower courtyard the first thing you see is the original bread oven. Dating to 1916 (the date carved in the rock oven door) and with a large area underneath used for the pigs we are told. Sadly the interior of the oven was beyond repair and crumbling away with huge cracks throughout.

I try to imagine the borgata and valley back in 1916, during the first world war, we are walking in the footsteps of hundreds of years here each day. This oven would have provided the entire borgata with bread, I’d love to learn more about the history of our Borgata.

Anita who is now in her eighties was born here and has never left the Borgata, she lived through the second world war and saw both the Nazi’s and the Partisans walking through these very streets and past our big double doors.

After discussing the idea with the local men here in the borgata Sam decided to take the oven out. I regret seeing it go but sometimes history has to move with the times and be practical as well as safe. We are slowly removing all the added touches in the house that would not have been original like the ugly metal railing. As much as possible we want to restore the house to it’s original state.

The upper porch area will now run right to the exterior wall and the railing eventually replaced with timber. Originally a door was in the rock section leading to the house next door. We also found a doorway down in the back of the original bread oven that must have gone though to Casa Bianca. The two homes were once owned by the one family and now they are again owned by one family who want to protect and restore them.

We have saved as many of the original terracotta bricks from the vaulted section as possible, most are just crumbling away in our hands. I know we’ll find a special place for them to be re used in the house.

It’s fascinating to see how the vaulted original bread oven was built, a work of art. We had an original bread oven in our first home here in Italy at Borga Nari and even fired it up a few times.

Our lower courtyard has been a bit of a mess for the past two weeks and is just now coming back to order. Once the original bread oven is totally removed we can move the wood down from the upper level Sam will begin to work up in the back rooms. He has some good ideas for this area now after talking with our neighbor and seeing what is possible.

Even though it has been cold and raining now for the past two weeks Sam has continued working to get this area finished. Then we will move the wood down to this area and have the entire back section of the upper floor for another project we are working on. More to come about that as the work progresses. The original bread oven is now gone and all that remains are the photos and the rock door dated 1916.

It’s a fine line between preserving the past and creating the future…….have you ever been torn between the two?

and the gang x

33 replies

Krista says:
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I can imagine it would be so difficult to let go of things that have so many memories and so much history attached to them. It’s so good that you have neighbors to help you navigate these choices. XO You guys are doing such an incredible job. 🙂
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Thanks Krista, I am the sentimental one and Sam the practical one and luckily we usually meet in the middle. Buon Anno and love to you and your Bear xx
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Diana says:
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A tough choice. We had to make so many decisions of this nature with our project in Italy. Sometimes a soft heart for history is necessary, and sometimes pure pragmatism. I am sure that opening up that section will bring many positive things as you move past demo. It hurts to do it, though! It’s going to be amazing!
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  It’s such a tug of love, wanting to keep everything original yet having a functioning home. We are keeping all that we can and preserving all we find. It’s starting to come together now Diana. Sending love and Buon Anno xx
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Nancy Fenstermacher says:
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Oh, my, what a project but I love your written piece about the bread oven for the borgata as we are bread bakers. Our home here in PA. Sorry it had to go, but as you say you are moving into the future use of your places. I do not know how Sam works so hard day in and day out but he must love the dream! It will be so very nice to see it shape up. Thank you, Lisa and Sam, Carina and Luca, for letting us share in your adventure! How about Carina translating from French to Italian??? Wow, so impressive. Nice to hear that you have a little $ for presents this year, nice surprise for kids! Take care, be well and happy.

Cheers, Nancy
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Ciao Nancy,
  
  It was just wonderful finding the date on the back of the oven door, I would have loved to keep it but it was just beyond repair sadly. Now we are using that area for storing wood through winter, above the deck area will be extended and we are planning to turn the back area where the wood was stored into a self contained little flat for visitors. Much work to be done before next year.
  
  All the houses here in the borgata have bread ovens, ours would be the largest dwelling at the time and was known as the big house in the borgata. How wonderful that you are bread bakers, it is such a part of daily life here to buy fresh bread or make your own. We plan to get a bread oven up on the outside porch area next to the main house and Sam can’t wait to begin making his own bread.
  
  Sam has always been such a hard worker, he takes after his Dad. I”m so happy you are coming along with us through all of this, it’s a delight and thank you, I am amazed at Carina being able to speak fluently in Italian after only a year at school. I am still hopeless with the language but am determined to get ahead with it this coming year.
  
  Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and much love.
  
  ciao ciao
  lisa and the gang x
  
  PS I wonder if it’s okay to add your letter to the comments section at the blog so that others can read it. I can just paste it in if it’s okay with you. xx
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Anne says:
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Wow Lisa, Sam is doing a brilliant job and what a discovery , sad that you cannot restore the oven but you have something to remind you, I know Sam will find a good place to use the terracotta bricks. and YEAH you own both homes now and they will be fabulous. xx
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Sam has been hard at work and he already has a plan for the old bricks to be a feature wall. The oven door will get pride of place in our courtyard. You have to come visit in the Spring xx
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Lisa Wood says:
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Oh Lisa, what history! I so hear you about trying to keep history in tact but at the same time create a new life to the building….we feel the same whenever David is renovating a place, as well as when David is renovating our bus.

We found a sign {hidden in the front of the bus at the top} from when the bus was used as a school bus – saying “Dont eat in the bus” – it was cut in places but you could still read what was written. We kept the sign because its part of the history of our bus/motorhome.

When we renovated our old QLD it too had touches of the past, and we tried to keep the character of the house while making it more modern.

Gosh Sam is working hard, its starting to look like a home, can’t wait to see the other improvements he wants to make 🙂
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  I feel the watchful gaze of generations past here in the Borgata and always hope they like what we are doing. How wonderful to find that sign in the bus I love it, it will be a great part of your home’s history.
  
  Sam has been going non stop and we have plans in place for next year which we are moving towards steadily. Wait till you see what he has planned for the back rooms!
  
  Rather him than me LOL
  
  Give our love to David and the boys
  
  Don’t forget to pm me an address I’d love to send a little something for you all xx
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Jenny says:
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Lisa, it must be exciting making these discoveries as you breathe new life into these houses. Congratulations to you both again for your energy and commitment. Looking forward to photos of the old date plaque above your fired up new pizza oven.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  It’s so funny Jenny but we never noticed the date on the back of the oven door until just now. I’ll be sure to find a wonderful place for it once the new pizza oven fires up that’s for sure. xx
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Gina - Our Global Adventure says:
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Oh I would have been so torn about what to with the original oven! But, if it was beyond repair and not able to be used then it makes sense to pull it out. Could you perhaps build another (smaller) pizza/bread oven in the courtyard in the future to incorporate some of the original features? Love seeing you progress, such a labour of love!
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  At first I was really torn and didn’t want him to take it out Gina but it really was falling apart inside and we had no way to repair it. We are going to put another oven in the courtyard and hope to have many friends and family come to visit and enjoy it with us. xxx
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jann says:
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Wow, Lisa. Fascinating.I hope Sam is getting some help! I looks like a pretty big (read: enormous) job. 🙂 Buon lavoro! xxxxxx
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  He’s getting some help and advice from our neighbors and I just look on in awe, I’m inside by the fire and he is out in all weather working away on our project here in the Borgata. xxx
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Josephine Alexander says:
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Hope you are re-setting the “1916” stone in the new oven. We did one here in California from 1910. Once again built by Italian immigrants here on our North Coast. Take care of yourselves, this is a big undertaking.
Josephine
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Absolutely it will have pride of place when we put our new oven in. It still amazes me that it was built during the first world war, I love the history here in the Borgata. A big undertaking but moving along well, can’t wait to see how it all turns out and have visitors to enjoy it with us.
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Elizabeth says:
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My old bread oven was fired up this summer for the very first time by an Aussie guy, from Brisbane. He made the most wonderful pizzas for a group of 22 of my friends !!!
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  How funny we are from Brisbane oh and originally Melbourne. We fired up the bread oven at our last house and all the locals came over to offer advice. Your pizza sounds like a hit! xx
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Shell Parsons says:
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What a massive undertaking! It must be fascinating seeing all the history of your home unfold before your eyes. So glad to be able to be a part of the journey.x
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  I love finding little hidden treasures like the date carved on the oven door. It really brings it home regards the age of the place and the history. Happy to have you along for the journey Shell xx
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Wynne says:
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I think my mind and ideas would be going in a million different directions. I don’t know how you settle on just one design; I’d likely drive an architect nuts!
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Same here Wynne, I would never make decisions but Sam is always clear and with direction (don’t you hate that LOL). He’s lucky I’m so easy going. x
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  - Wynne says:
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    Thankfully Sam has that vision – I’d be lost! I wouldn’t even know what to disagree upon. Can’t wait to see it, completed and in all its glory.
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Caterina B says:
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Sam is a jewel! Does he ever get tired of all the work and get crabby or, here is a word I got from you a long time ago on a blog post, “scorbutico?” I definitely had to look that one up online.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Oh yes he has his moments like the rest of us, but you are right he really is a Jewel xx
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Lorraine says:
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Your renovations are so interesting and being carried out with such dedication to detail which will be rewarded with a wonderful finished product I am sure. I am so enjoying the story along the way Lisa.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  The finished product seems a long way off but I know it will be wonderful Lorraine. Thanks for your support ciao ciao lisa x
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Val Smith says:
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What an amazing amount of work, but very inspiring. I am blown away, by all the work that Sam has done. Love reading the blog and following all the news.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  He really never stops Val, he is the driving force behind our project and I am the calm lake. He and Fred would have been happy out in the veggie garden together growing onions lol x
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Eric Stillwell says:
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Amazing life you are living!
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Yes it still amazes me Eric, x
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