GUEST RENOVATORS
Renovating the Italian Farmhouse – a work in progress
What is it that makes a house a home? I just love this story of Sally’s Uncle, his family and the history of this Italian farmhouse. I love the feel of her home that comes through in her images and at her blog, family, love and happy moments.
Originally a very simple Italian farmhouse, built to last, with rough stone walls it has slowly been transforming over the years. Built in the 1920’s the taller section of the house held one family, Arrigo’s uncle, his wife and their four children. Whilst the other section built in the 1940’s was home to Sally’s Uncle Arrigo. He lived here with his parents , two sisters and brother.
Back then you can see that the house section was much smaller. There was only the kitchen on the ground floor and the main bedroom upstairs (which is our bedroom today)! All the rest of the house was a cattle shed with the hay storage on the top floor. Fairly typical of an Italian farmhouse.
There was no bathroom, no hot water and no stove in this Italian farmhouse. The fireplace was used to cook, heat water, and was the only heating they had through the winter. There was electricity but it was just for lighting the house.
These were farmers who hardly ever bought anything, they even made their own soap. They ate what they produced and were quite poor, my uncle always says “we were poor, but happy”. Each of the children had duties to do before and after school, which was a four kilometer walk away.
Arrigo and his sister would walk twice a day to the dairy. They would deliver the cow’s milk in two buckets hanging on the ends of a stick that they held on their shoulders. The milk was very precious so they had to be very careful not to spill any. Then there were chickens and other animals to take care of, the garden and so on….
Arrigo was born in this house in 1944, and lived here until 1960. At that time his mother decided to live and work in Milan as a domestic for a family, and he was the only one left with her. His Father had died in his 50s some years before. His two sisters became nuns, (one has been a missionary in Perù for 16 years, and the other a seclusion nun in Foligno). His brother went to a monastry in Bologna where he became a monk, but passed away in his fifties.
So Arrigo went to Milan where he learned to be a mechanic. He married Sally’s aunt, and they had three children. In the seventies after he had married and had his second child, he decided it was time to renovate the farmhouse. It took some years, but they changed the cattle shed and barn into another two bedrooms with a bathroom upstairs, and a huge living room and dining room downstairs.
There is another big room right on top of the garage that has never been finished. Sally plans to create another small apartment with an open space for English lessons putting up a small school, with an outside entrance. She lives here full time with her husband Settimo and her mother Tanina. “Anyway we have been changing and renovating a lot during the last 5 years, especially inside, and starting to do outside too”.
Arrigo bought the whole property in the nineties . So now it’s all his. He still lives in Milan and uses the renovated third house (see above) which was once the cattle shed for weekends and summer holidays.
If you’d like to ask Sally a question about the renovation of her Italian Farmhouse please feel free to do so in the comment section below, I’m sure she’d be happy to share with you all…
and the gang x
So lovely. Thank you for sharing this great story and photos.
I love the way you bring together the story of the people with the story of the house Lisa. You bring it to life. Brava Lisa. I’m going to say a prayer tonight that I might live my dream of tackling a project like this in Italy one day. Just beautiful.
Janine it is the people and their stories that fascinate me so, the house is a reflection of this. Sally, her Mum, her brother Joe and Uncle have so much to tell they could write a book as most of us could. Having lived in an ancient farmhouse in Italy I feel so close to the spirits that may still wander these ancient homes. I’m sure we will both achieve our dreams…there is just no other choice really is there! ciao bella lisa
What a wonderful story! We are rebuilding a stone house in Vergemoli. I would love to know the story of the original house.
Fantastic Debra I’d love to see some images of your house, the ones at your blog are just great! Especially love all those fiats, what great colors! Post some pics on the renovating italy facebook page I’d love to see them! ciao lisa
Lisa, it’s just wonderful! Thanks so much. It’s emotional to read my story and to see it from “the outside” . No words would be enogh to thank you. You’re such a beautiful person that I really hope to meet in person soon!
xxxooo Sally
I was just thinking today how wonderful it will be to sit in your garden (sleeping cat on my lap) and chat! Once I was featured in a magazine doing an article on Mothers and they flew my mum up from Melbourne for a photo shoot with my daughter and I it was incredible to read her story and ours in print. Very moving so i understand what you mean. Can’t wait to meet you some day soon, ciao lisa
LOVELY!! This is much more than I ever expected! You’re great Lisa, reading my story is very emotional and strange, but it’s all the truth, so life goes on and and renovating too!
Thanks a bunch! XXOO