This earth house is an example of humble architecture and an evidence of the ancient building technique that used earth mixed with straw. The current building dates back to the beginning of the 20thcentury. This medieval techniquewas used to build houses for the families of sharecroppers and seasonal workers.
...A very special experience is the visit to the earth house of Ostra Vetere, where the tradition of earth houses is documented since the 17thcentury. It is an ancient building technique that used earth mixed with straw and is officially recorded in municipal statutes and cadastral mapssince the Middle Age and the Renaissance. The buildings are of modest size, sometimes they have only the ground floor, and the dwelling is adjacent to the stables and to the cellar.
Clay and straw were used to build mud houses. The straw was combined with earth and water and was pounded with bare feet in a hole to make “raw” bricks. Large blocks of 7-8 kg were obtained by joining the elements. The blocks were placed one on top of the other to build the earthwall. The earth house of Ostra Vetere, which is located in Contrada Molino and was inhabited until 1957, has now become one of the most visited earth houses in the north of the Marche region. Today it basically maintains its original typology with a rectangular plan andtwo floors. A central partition wall forms four rooms: the kitchen and the stable on the ground floor and the bedrooms on the first floor.
The house was purchased by the municipal administration of Ostra Vetere at the end of the 80’s and was restored by the Superintendence of Architectural and Environmental Heritage of Ancona. The building, which is properly marked by road signs, is open to the public all year round and can be visited for free.
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