Tobia Gioachino Collet works as a process engineer overseeing the battery cell caps business at the Lead Center Oil Seals Powertrain & Driveline in Pinerolo. He worked with his grandfather to restore his great-great-grandfather’s chalet in the mountains. He tells his family’s story.
“A stone, carved with the date, 1910, stands near the door. The chalet was built that year, high in the mountains of Valle Germanasca in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, not far from Turin. It was the home of my great-great-grandparents Ferdinando and Ester.
At the time, it was a typical Alpine dwelling. Grazing animals were kept in a half-cellar with a stone vault. The heat they generated rose through the floorboards and warmed the upper stories. The first story was just one room dominated by a large fireplace. In earlier times, my ancestors would sit around it to talk, cook and weave wool into hats, vests and scarves. The bedrooms were on the top floor. This kind of chalet was generally built by two stonemasons and an apprentice. The two stonemasons would pull the wall upright from inside and out, and the apprentice hauled crushed stone for the cavity
inside.
My Great-Grandfather was nicknamed Ferrari
The next generation, my great-grandparents, moved a bit further down the valley. The chalet was then only used in the summer when the cows grazed in the high pastures. My great-grandfather was a skilled sled builder. The old folks secretly gave him the nickname “Ferrari,” even though his vehicles, unlike sports cars from Maranello, were mainly made of wood. Thanks to his talent and attention to detail, he was able to build the fastest and most durable sleds in the mountains. They were used to transport hay, wood and straw, but not for pleasure. He passed these skills down to my grandfather, Renato, who began renovating his parents’ home and repairing the chalet that stood a short ways up the mountain. Grandfather Renato became my model, largely because he combined attention to detail with our forebears’ traditions.
One day, Renato went to the chalet. At the time, old tools and machines were stored there, and he found a thresher and a machine for sifting wheat. He decided on the spot to buy a small mill. He started out baking bread, but, even after five years, he was still not satisfied with the results. Then, after years of experimentation, he finally came up with the right dough, which he mixed with sourdough and baked in a wood-fired oven. Incidentally, we are still using his recipe today.
Grandfather and Grandson did the Renovations
My grandfather has passed his craftsmanship and love of tradition to me. Perhaps that was why I wanted a workbench for Christmas when I was five years old. I used it to build a humidifier. At 17, I decided to spend more time with my grandparents. Grandma Maura taught me cooking and sewing, and Grandpa Renato taught me fine workmanship.
One summer afternoon, my grandfather and I began planning the renovation of great-great-grandfather Fernando’s chalet in the mountains. We decided to do all the work ourselves, without the aid of contractors. Grandpa Renato took on the role of the two stonemasons, and I was the apprentice. The roof had to be redone. We constructed a kind of sawmill for the project, enabling us to produce new beams from tree trunks ourselves. We took the same approach for the windows.
The project is moving forward. We had briefly thought of turning the shed into a sauna, but one of my friends from the university had a good idea: He proposed that the space be used to store cheese, wine and herbs. The family will get together on the first floor: A table will be the room’s centerpiece. There will be two rocking chairs in front of the fireplace for cozy conversation. I imagine my grandmothers sitting there, knitting and chatting. A stairway will lead to the bedroom on the second floor. Along the stairs, at each step, you will be able to see pictures showing the chalet’s transformation. At some point, a bed, a wooden clothing closet and a dresser will round out the furnishings.”
Opa und Enkel renovieren gemeinsam
Mein Großvater hat das handwerkliche Geschick und die Liebe zu Traditionen an mich weitergegeben. Vielleicht habe ich mir deshalb mit fünf Jahren eine Werkbank zu Weihnachten gewünscht, mit der ich einen Raumbefeuchter gebaut habe. Mit siebzehn beschloss ich, mehr Zeit mit meinen Großeltern zu verbringen: Oma Maura brachte mir das Kochen und Nähen bei, mein Großvater echte Handwerkskunst.
An einem Sommernachmittag begannen Großvater und ich, die Renovierung des Chalets von Ururopa Ferdinando in den Bergen zu planen. Wir beschlossen, die ganze Arbeit selbst zu machen, ohne Hilfe von Fachfirmen. Mein Opa Renato in der Rolle beider Maurer, ich in der des Lehrlings. Das Dach musste neu gedeckt werden. Wir haben dafür eine Art Sägemühle konstruiert, mit der wir die neuen Balken aus Baumstämmen selbst herstellen konnten. Gleiches galt für die Fenster.
Das Projekt schreitet aktuell voran. Kurz hatten wir überlegt, aus dem Stall eine Sauna zu machen. Aber einer meiner Kommilitonen schlug vor, diesen Raum für die Lagerung von Käse, Wein und Kräutern zu verwenden. Eine gute Idee! In der ersten Etage trifft sich künftig die Familie: Der Tisch wird den Mittelpunkt des Raums bilden. Vor dem Kamin werden zwei Schaukelstühle stehen, in denen gemütliche Gespräche stattfinden können. Ich stelle mir vor, dass meine Großmütter dort beim Stricken miteinander plauderten. Eine Treppe wird zum Schlafzimmer im zweiten Stock führen. Entlang dieser Treppe kann man später Schritt für Schritt die Bilder der Verwandlung des Chalets sehen. Ein Bett, ein hölzerner Kleiderschrank und eine Kommode komplettieren irgendwann die Einrichtung.“
