Hidden among trees and vegetation, lies one of the most fascinating traces of past daily life: the historic icehouse.
Far from being a simple storage space, the icehouse was an engineered structure designed to preserve ice throughout the year. It consists of an underground chamber, insulated and lined with bricks, with an opening at the top through which snow and blocks of ice collected during winter were dropped inside.
This system was closely connected to the lake, which was created by diverting the Parma stream and served as a source of water and natural ice. Together, the lake and the icehouse formed an integrated and sustainable system, where nature was carefully harnessed to ensure preservation and freshness even during the warmest months.
The icehouse was not only used by the villa but also served the local community, becoming an essential resource for activities such as the village butcher. With the introduction of refrigeration, its function gradually disappeared, and the structure fell into disuse, slowly becoming overgrown and hidden by vegetation.
Today, thanks to restoration, the icehouse has been brought back into view as an important historical testimony of ingenuity, sustainability, and rural life.
