The living room in Val Badia

The Stube, or stüa in Ladin, was the only room in the house that could be heated and was completely panelled in wood. For centuries it was the centre of the family's social life and could be found in almost every farmhouse and as such, it is a place steeped in history and essential to the life of the peasant families in Val Badia and beyond. It represents the heart of the home, an environment that emanates intimacy, warmth and memories. Crossing the threshold of this room, you have the sensation of entering another dimension: the ancient wood, the smell of soot and the indications of the hard work done by the peasant farmers all indicate a lifestyle that has remained substantially unchanged over the centuries.

This situation with all its simplicity gives us the chance to discover a source of enormous cultural and social value, and in the following pages I shall try and provide the opportunity to get to know this environment more closely and grasp all the different aspects of its beauty.

During the Middle Ages, the term Stube referred to family spaces, rooms for meeting and washing that were all typified by the presence of a stove. The "oberdeutsche Stube" had a stove fuelled from outside, which created no smoke inside the room and thus represented an important building innovation. The Stuben developed mainly in noble and bourgeois situations in German-speaking countries, as can be seen in 12^th century documents from Alto Adige. The first Stuben were built of solid wood and had curved ceilings, similar to brick vaults. Over time, they increased in size, their decorations became more elaborate and they began to appear even in peasant homes from the 15^th century onwards, becoming the center of family life. The common features varied according to the social class, but their function remained similar. It was only after 1519, with the separation of the nobility from the lower classes, that the differences became more marked. With the arrival of the Renaissance, the Stuben began to change, in that the ceilings and decorations became more modern, but in many peasant homes the traditional style continued. Between the 17^th and 18^th centuries, noble families began to prefer stucco ceilings, while peasants continued to use traditional rooms, enriching them with personal elements. In the 19^th century, decorative art evolved thanks to local painters, often from the Val di Fassa. With the expansion of tourism, taverns and inns also adopted similar styles while the antiques markets began to empty houses of these traditional features.

Let's go into one of these rooms and take a closer look at it so that we can discover the elements that best characterize it. Whether semi-cylindrical or tower-shaped, the stoves remained central, not just for heating but also as social elements. According to an unwritten law, the stove bench was reserved for the master of the house and no one else could occupy it. Children sat on the raised area above the stove or on the bench behind it, yet the room was not used as a bedroom; only the sick and travellers slept there. From the end of the Middle Ages, the stoves found in well-off houses were decorated with majolica, while those of peasants remained simple.

The furnishings of the Stuben were basic, with a few benches, small hanging drawers hung on the blind wall or built into the wooden panelling, and intended to hold prayer books and vials containing various oils and herbal infusions. Another central element was the table, often located in the corner in front of the stove, surrounded by benches and chairs. The table became the meeting point for the family. Here they would gather to eat, sharing meals prepared with ingredients often grown in their own fields. Eating from the same container was not only a way to save money, but also a gesture that strengthened the family bond. Before meals, it was customary to recite the Our Father in a moment of reflection and gratitude.

In order to reduce heat loss, the windows in the stües were small and very little light came in. It was only in the first decades of the 20^th century that the electric light bulb began to become more popular, replacing older light sources such as the oil lantern or the tallow lamp.

This room was also a place for working: needlework and knitting were done and objects were created. It was a space for children to study and when craftsmen passed by it became a place for work and the exchange of news.

Usually in the stüa there was also a grandfather clock, which was enclosed in a case, made according to the style of the Stube, and designed to best protect the mechanism, the pendulum and the weights. When a family member died, the clock was usually stopped.

On the days in which bread was made, the stüa came alive with preparations: the room was heated and the dough was worked with care. Homemade bread was a fundamental part of the peasant diet and its preparation was accompanied by rituals that included prayers to the patron saints. Baking bread was not just a practical operation, it was also an event that united the family in a ritual that was full of meaning.

The stüa was also the place where the family gathered in the evening to have fun, sing and tell stories, contributing to and maintaining popular culture. In addition, religious celebrations and rituals would take place there. Under the crucifix and in front of the domestic altar, the family would gather three times a day to pray, surrounded by blessed objects and photographs showing the family history. Each religious holiday was marked by special decorations, such as altar cloths embroidered by women which were symbols of devotion and dedication. During Advent, the room became particularly significant, with traditions such as the creating of the nativity scene, which symbolized the importance of family and spirituality.

The celebration of All Saints, with its tradition of leaving food for the souls of the deceased, revealed the deep connection between the living and the dead. These rituals not only reflected the religious nature of the community, they also guaranteed the handing down of values ​​and traditions from generation to generation.

Over time, this room acquired a number of religious elements, such as the crucifix hung in the sacred corner. During the Catholic Reformation of the 17^th and 18^th centuries, religious rituals began to be practiced, such as prayers before and after meals. The crucifixes became smaller, and ornamental objects and religious images were added to the walls, making the sacred corner a place of worship and memory. In the past, there were both cradles and coffins in the stüa, marking the beginning and end of life. Holy water was used at the entrance to receive divine blessing.

Seen in this light, the stüa becomes a microcosm that encompasses experiences, hardships and moments of joy in everyday life. The walls, loaded with significant objects and religious symbols, tell stories of passion and devotion. Every corner bears witness to a living past, in which work and human relationships are intertwined in a fascinating combination of history and culture.

Over time, the stüa has undergone profound changes: sofas are often preferred to benches, or else the television is placed next to the domestic altar, but the charm of the place remains unchanged, like the unique and unparalleled atmosphere of peace and intimacy. The walls, completely panelled in wood, preserve the history of past generations with engravings, paintings and writings that bear witness to the life of the inhabitants. Every element of the furniture, from the benches to the stove, reveals the habits and customs of a community. The “stüa” was the only heated place in the house, where during the long winters the whole family gathered to eat, work and find an element of comfort.

In short, the stüa is not just a domestic environment, but a symbol of cultural identity and community. It represents the fusion of tradition, family and spirituality, a place in which the past continues to live in the present and where every detail tells the story of a simple but profound life, that of the peasant families of Val Badia. The stüa is a symbol of family life, representing the heart of the peasant home and continuing to play an important role in moments of celebration and mourning. In conclusion, the stüa is more than just a simple room; it is a place full of history and culture that reflects the life of all those generations that have inhabited them.