Bread Ovens of Lower Italian Gardens

Apr 29, 2021 by contributor

A steady stream of Italians from near Genoa immigrated to the southern Mother Lode in the last half of the 19^th century. In Mokelumne Hill several formed partnerships, sharing ownership of a number of parcels that came to be known as Lower Italian Gardens. Surviving from this commercial agricultural community are several houses, a winery, a barn, and the remains of two domed bread-baking ovens built by Albert Trabucco. The first oven, built in 1895, sat in front of the old community Cook House and was largely dismantled in 1999. Trabucco’s second oven, constructed in 1901 at his home across the street, is still preserved — testimony to the importance of bread-baking traditions to the new immigrants.

A history of Lower Italian Gardens and Trabucco’s ovens has been posted on the website CalaverasHistory.org/History by Area/Mokelumne Hill (sidebar)