FiliTour Nr. 3: Chesa Fontana

Cold house - warm Stüva

The cold was part of everyday life in the Engadine house. Seraina Heinrich-Planta, the niece of former owners Valentin and Caty Schmid-Juvalta, remembers how dangerous she could be:

"My mother took care of the elderly relatives in Filisur. Uncle Valentine was very weak and Aunt Caty was slowly losing her memory. One evening in late autumn, she called us in St. Moritz because she felt threatened. I drove over the Albula Pass with my mother to check on them. When we arrived in Filisur, it was already pitch black.

It was bitterly cold in the house . Uncle Valentin lay frozen on the cold stove bench in the Stüva. We had to fire up the kitchen stove to warm it up. There was also almost nothing left to eat. The two had been eating an old Engadine sausage and a little risotto for a week. Luckily, my mother had brought something and cooked them a hot meal. Afterwards they fell asleep contentedly in the warm Stüva.

We crawled in the bedroom above the stove stairs in the high old beds under the thick feather blankets. The next morning, the walls and ceiling were covered with hoarfrost, and the window panes were covered with ice flowers. Uncle and aunt had slept well in the warm Stüva.

After that night , my parents took Uncle Valentin and Aunt Caty to the retirement home in Thusis.

Exemplary renovation

The house was renovated in the years 2013-2015 in cooperation with the Monument Preservation Office. The extensive renovation work with selective new installations such as a new circulation was planned and implemented by the architect Men Duri Arquint on behalf of Helen Fontana.  This involved close cooperation with the Archaeological Service, the Cantonal Monument Preservation Office and renowned restorers and specialist craftsmen such as Ivano Rampa, Aaron Bellini and Ruedi Krebs.

In the audio, the current owner Helene Fontana tells how she took over the house, how she had it renovated and what personal relationship she has with the house. The audio file can be found at the back of the pictures.