Page 29 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 29
Fireplaces in the Vipava Valley
Špela Ledinek Lozej
Introduction
This article discusses the form, structure, meanings and changes of fireplaces in the coun-
tryside of the Vipava Valley in the first half of the 20th century. The research was carried out
using various sources: 1. realia, such as fireplaces and fireplace equipment, which were pre-
served either in situ or in other places, for example used in another function or kept in a
museum collection; 2. pictorial sources; 3. written sources, such as literature, fieldwork re-
cords of the Slovene Ethnographic Museum staff and comparable scientific literature. Ac-
cording to their location, these sources were divided into three groups: 1. archival materials,
such as inventories, plans and photographs, which are kept in the archives, as well as muse-
um items and documentation from museums, private collections, regional units of the In-
stitute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia and other institutions and asso-
ciations; 2. published materials, such as monographs, periodicals or occasional publications
as well as TV-programmes, films or materials published on the internet; 3. fieldwork mate-
rials, such as recordings and transcripts of conversations and interviews, photo documenta-
tion, sketches, notes and other materials which were obtained in the field.1
Fireplaces
It is reasonable to assume that fireplaces in the Vipava Valley, influenced by the Roman
culture, were relatively early made rectangular and at least slightly lifted from the ground,
and that due to continuous stone building, they were relatively early moved from the mid-
dle of the room to the fire-proof external wall or in the corner of the dwelling (Baš, 1984,
p. 16). Free-standing fireplaces, which were common in the regions of Friuli, Brda, Breginj,
the Soča Valley and Carnia (Scheuermaier, 1956, p. 62), were not documented in the Vipa-
va Valley, at least not in the first half of the 20th century. In time, fireplaces became smaller
and were lifted to the table-height. Lifting of fireplaces coincided with the development of
smoke exhaust through the hood and the chimney.
1 When there is no reference in the text, the material was obtained in the field through observation, conversation
or interviews. The author of this article keeps the fieldwork material at the Institute of Slovenian Ethnology at
the Research Station of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Nova Gorica.
27
Špela Ledinek Lozej
Introduction
This article discusses the form, structure, meanings and changes of fireplaces in the coun-
tryside of the Vipava Valley in the first half of the 20th century. The research was carried out
using various sources: 1. realia, such as fireplaces and fireplace equipment, which were pre-
served either in situ or in other places, for example used in another function or kept in a
museum collection; 2. pictorial sources; 3. written sources, such as literature, fieldwork re-
cords of the Slovene Ethnographic Museum staff and comparable scientific literature. Ac-
cording to their location, these sources were divided into three groups: 1. archival materials,
such as inventories, plans and photographs, which are kept in the archives, as well as muse-
um items and documentation from museums, private collections, regional units of the In-
stitute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia and other institutions and asso-
ciations; 2. published materials, such as monographs, periodicals or occasional publications
as well as TV-programmes, films or materials published on the internet; 3. fieldwork mate-
rials, such as recordings and transcripts of conversations and interviews, photo documenta-
tion, sketches, notes and other materials which were obtained in the field.1
Fireplaces
It is reasonable to assume that fireplaces in the Vipava Valley, influenced by the Roman
culture, were relatively early made rectangular and at least slightly lifted from the ground,
and that due to continuous stone building, they were relatively early moved from the mid-
dle of the room to the fire-proof external wall or in the corner of the dwelling (Baš, 1984,
p. 16). Free-standing fireplaces, which were common in the regions of Friuli, Brda, Breginj,
the Soča Valley and Carnia (Scheuermaier, 1956, p. 62), were not documented in the Vipa-
va Valley, at least not in the first half of the 20th century. In time, fireplaces became smaller
and were lifted to the table-height. Lifting of fireplaces coincided with the development of
smoke exhaust through the hood and the chimney.
1 When there is no reference in the text, the material was obtained in the field through observation, conversation
or interviews. The author of this article keeps the fieldwork material at the Institute of Slovenian Ethnology at
the Research Station of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Nova Gorica.
27
