Oven in roman ruins

[Frances]

This is an oven they built in our local roman ruins in Augusta Raurica.

Augusta Raurica

I thought it was interesting, because its also an imitation of the old roman ovens - no idea how they built it or what of. I'll find someone to ask next time I visit. As a special attraction the actually bake bread in it sometimes... just immagine!

No chimney you'll notice, but a fireplace for cooking beside it.

Once a year they have a three day roman festival in the ruins, with gladiators and roman food and mosaic artists and felt making and all kinds of stuff. They're pretty fanatic about getting it all as authentic as possible... the gladiators make their own armour by hand and treck over the alps from Italy on foot in homemade roman sandals carrying all their gear (tents, food, weapons etc) on their backs. 60 kg each apparently.

I suspect that the real roman festival only starts once all the visitors have left in the evening and the active participants are left to their own devices. They probably weave their own blankets and dig their own latrines as well. I wonder if they insist of talking latin?

[Xabia Jim]

Thanks Frances....interesting and simple door design! (but that door most likely is not original, duh)

Looks like brick consruction? or stone? Large tiles on the floor too!

X

[james]

I get a kick out of the "re-construction" ovens. The first time I went to Pompeii I was expecting something very rustic, no vent, rough and uneven floors, etc.

Imagine my surprise to see dead-level, terracotta cooking floors with tight seams; expanded clay insulation, expert brickwork, and perfectly designed terracotta vent and chimney systems.

Pompeii Oven: Brick Oven Arch

James

[gjbingham]

Cool stuff. I wish I'd paid more attention when I visited Pompeii and other ruins around Europe. I was more into the Greek Temples though.

[james]

Greek temples in Sicilia. Excellent.

Like Sicily, Paestum, just south of Naples, was part of Greca Magna, and they have wonderful Greek Temples.
James

[n2iko]

Originally Posted by Frances

This is an oven they built in our local roman ruins in Augusta Raurica.

Augusta Raurica



No chimney you'll notice, but a fireplace for cooking beside it.

I would love to see the tools associated with this ancient oven/grill.


--mr.jim

[dmun]

Lots of ancient ruins all over. Here's the ruins of a Greek temple in Didim, in Western Turkey.

[james]

Those Greeks really got about.

[Dutchoven]

I heard somwhere that they use Windex for a lot of ailments as well!

Originally Posted by james

Those Greeks really got about.

[gjbingham]

James/David,
Thanks! Great pics - fond memories. I'm not the only one, huh?

The Colliseum in Rome is absolutely incredible - awesome might be a better word, but somehow those Greek temples are so magestic. Many times I drove for hours to see just pillars lying on the ground amongst olive trees that looked just as ancient as the temples themselves.

Appreciation of incredible arcitecture is one of those benefits of having a teacher during your developmental years. Mine was in 8th grade. I forget what the man taught, but we used to watch the Three Stooges for the first 20 minutes of class every day, then listen to him rant and rave about the great wonders of the world - the pyramids, the perfect Greek temples, on and on. I learned tons from that guy!