Community oven

The oven was used until the 1960s with a rotation system, ensuring the longest possible heating time for the various Oscata families in the surrounding area, to bake loaves of 4 to 5 kg to be consumed over the course of a week. The oven was fueled with straw, and its use is still maintained during events, as it represents the last structure in Irpinia where only straw can be used as fuel.

The community oven belonged to Tata Tonno, the head of a family who lived in the Oscata di Mezzo area, close to the fountain. At the time, it was customary to share the use of the oven, built on private land offered by the owners, with people who contributed to its construction and restoration costs. The benefit of sharing the fire outweighed ownership of the oven itself. In this way, the community could obtain each family's weekly bread — a staple of the Mediterranean diet, providing the energy needs of farmers and herders — from a single baking session. The division of Tata Tonno's property among heirs, the advent of modern kitchens, and the depopulation of the area led to the abandonment of this ancient ritual, based on sharing the fire, firewood, leavening agent (lu cresend'), and the traditional flatbread baked before the bread.

In 2022, the oven was filled with construction debris and trees. Thanks to the initiative of Sergio Lapenna, a founding member of Oscata inVita, the oven was completely cleared and restored to a usable condition. Volunteers of Oscata inVita promoted a fundraising campaign, with contributions from all over Italy and abroad, and collected necessary materials. The manual work led to the oven's reactivation, giving Oscata a new functional use.

The oven is also accessible during walks and visits, and Oscata inVita activates it during dedicated events, either organized by the association or requested by groups interested in experiencing this unique ritual with its ancient flavor and authentic spirit. Around Oscata, there are about 5 community ovens, and for the Rural Kitchens of Alta Irpinia, the oven rituals represent a collection of gestures, rites, customs, and methods to be preserved and enhanced, even with an innovative approach.