23 October 2010

Buscemi Paese Museo - I Luoghi Del Lavoro Contadino

 Buscemi, Siracusa, Sicilia



Have you ever wondered about the day-to-day existence of our ancestors and how they lived?  John D. just sent me a link to an amazing site - Buscemi Paese Museo.

Buscemi is a small village in Siracusa, Sicilia.  Due to migration in the 1960's and 70's an area of the village was all but abandoned.

In 1988 a group of local volunteers, coordinated by Rosario Acquaviva, intervened to preserve the cultural heritage of the village.  They turned many of the homes and small shops into museums.  Among the units preserved:

~ The Farmer's House
~ The Wine Press
~ The Blacksmith's Shop
~ The Agricultural Day-Laborer's House
~ The Tinker's Shop
~ The Carpenter's Shop
~ The Olive Press
~ The Shoemaker and Dish Repairer's Shop
~ The Wheat Cycle
~ The Santa Lucia Water Mill
~ The Documentation Center

Below are some pics from The agricultural day-laborer's house.

"Inhabited by six people up to the Sixties, the agricultural day-labourer’s house is a room of just 12 square metres. It represents the deep poverty of the lower working classes with its essential structure and the poor furniture. It is situated in the oldest part of Buscemi, characterized by traditional, small, stone houses."

Absolutely amazing ... and the baby slept in the hammock over the bed!





The ladder leads up to sleeping quarters for the older children.





I'm thinking Easy-Off just won't do the trick here.
Can you imagine the wonderful aromas that came from that oven though?







I look at the simplicity of this room and can't help but wonder what our ancestor's would think of our lifestyle today.  Would they consider us successful .... or spoiled and wasteful?  Do all the toys and gadgets we collect make us happier ... or do they distract us from what is really important in life?


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