ovens

In the heart of Valle d'Aosta, communal ovens blend into the landscape as silent witnesses of a time when daily life revolved around simple rituals of sharing. Each village, woven with traditions and shared memories, had its own communal oven, designed to meet the annual baking needs of bread.

In Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, the ovens nestle among the hamlets of Artalle, Le Carré, Bruil, Pont, La Chaudanaz, Pellaud, and Le Thumel, marking with their presence the seasonal rhythms of the surrounding communities. These ovens could bake from 30 to 120 loaves of bread at once, indicating the central importance they held in village life. In larger localities, more than one oven bore witness to a large and cohesive community.

Particularly notable is the Thumel oven, built in ancient times and now renovated and fully functional.

These ovens are not just structures, but genuine cultural landmarks. In a modern era often disconnected from traditional roots, their persistence represents a bridge between past and present, inviting everyone to rediscover the most authentic and human rhythms of community life.

By preserving these ovens, Rhêmes-Notre-Dame not only maintains a fundamental part of its culinary heritage but also provides a space where history continues to thrive, stimulating collective memory and strengthening the bond between generations.