CLASSIC “CHAMPAGNARD” FIREPLACE IN PIERRE DOREE DU BEAUJOLAIS...
CLASSIC, YES, BUT NOT IN ITS SIZE, REALLY RESTRAINED AND, FOR THAT VERY REASON, JUST AS UNUSUAL.
IN ITALY THIS PARTICULAR MODEL OF FIREPLACE “SHELF OUT ALL” AND 'KNOWN BY THE APPELLATION “PROVENÇAL”, WHO KNOWS WHY, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF ITS REMARKABLE SPREAD IN A LAND (THE PROVENCE) OFTEN VISITED BY ITALIANS, EITHER FOR ITS PROXIMITY, EITHER FOR THE SPECTACULAR' OF ITS LANDSCAPES, EITHER (AND I THINK THIS IS THE MAIN REASON ...) FOR ITS BEACHES ... THE FACT REMAINS THAT “AT HOME,” THIS FIREPLACE HAS ONLY ONE APPELLATION: “CHAMPAGNARD” ...
MAYBE IT WAS NOT OWNED BY THE COUNTRY BUMPKIN, MAYBE IT WAS IN THE HOUSE OF A FARMER WHO CULTIVATED HIS LAND OR IN THAT OF THE FACTOR OF A LANDOWNER, MORE OR LESS NOBLE, WHO KNOWS ...
MANTEL DESIRED BY ALL WOMEN (WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE THEY SEE IT OFTEN IN “AD” ?!), MANTEL INCREASINGLY UNOBTAINABLE AND THAT WE STILL MANAGE TO HAVE IN A FEW SPECIMENS BECAUSE OF OUR TRIPS TO PROVENCE AND BURGUNDY (WHICH IS THE REGION WHERE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF SPECIMENS WAS CARVED, SINCE ITS STONE ORIGINATES HERE, IN BURGUNDY).
GOOD GENERAL PRESERVATION, PERIOD FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY, PRICE MORE THAN FAIR WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE MERE DISASSEMBLY OF SUCH A FIREPLACE INVOLVES THE WORK OF AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE FOR A WHOLE DAY AND THE RESTORATION OF THE WALLS IN WHICH THESE FIREPLACES ARE ALWAYS AND DEEPLY SET.. THE COST OF DISASSEMBLY ALONE, JUST TO GIVE YOU A ROUGH IDEA, RANGES FROM 500 TO 1000 EUROS.... AND THEN THERE IS THE TRANSPORTATION, MAYBE SOME RESTORATION, AND FINALLY THE COST OF DELIVERY (BY US ALWAYS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE..)... IF YOU ADD TO THIS THAT WE DIDN'T STEAL IT BUT PAID CASH FOR IT, AND IF MAYBE YOUR GOODNESS ALSO COMES TO THE THOUGHT THAT WE HAVE TO EARN A LITTLE SOMETHING, WELL, THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT, AS ZANICCHI IVA SAYS, ITS PRICE IS MORE THAN FAIR.
