The ovens and the cistern
In the west wing of the large open-air church, there are two ovens with structures and remains of domes made of brick masonry. The cooking surfaces are both 80 cm above the floor; the smaller one has a diameter of 110 cm, while the larger one is exactly double: 220 cm. It is estimated that in the latter, intended for baking bread, about 15 loaves could be baked at a temperature of around 220°C, for the daily consumption of about 60 conventuals. At a subterranean level below the ovens is a large cistern (approximately 60 quintals) from which water was drawn for the kitchen through a floor hatch. The structure, made of stone masonry, is covered with a solid waterproof mortar marked by atypical wall geometry that is yet to be interpreted.
Audiodescrizione
Approfondimenti
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Sustainability before its time
The complex of ovens and the cistern demonstrates the organizational skills of the religious people of the time; the water arrived by gravity through a canal built up to the well upstream, dug on the north side, known as S. Guglielmo’s well. The wood to keep the fires burning in the ovens came from the woods around the abbey. For centuries, people sustained themselves through the intelligent use of primary resources (water and fire), in full ecological respect for the surrounding natural environment.
