THE FUNNY HOUSE OF FOGGIA

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 11086, 8 April 1933, Page 3

THE FUNNY HOUSE OF FOGGIA

The Italian town of Foggia is improving itself Avith, a new toAvn-plan-ning scheme, and one of the things it has decided must go is its bestknoAvn house.

It is by no means a beauty, this house; in fact, it is a ridiculous building, the outcome of a ridiculous spite. The Drunken House it is called and this is the story of lioav it Avas built in a night. In ISSO a Avine merchant of Foggia, named Bucci, quarrelled Avith Don Saverio, an influential neighbour, and thought out a Avay of spiting him. He Avould put up a building to spoil his vieAV. Move and Countermove.

The wine merchant hurriedly collected together the materials, but Don Saverio heard of this scheme and straightway announced that the permission of the authorities must be obtained before any building could be raised. As he represented those authorities himself he must have had a happy time chuckling over lioav he had ou'tAvitted his enemy.

But not for long. It appears that there Avas a IaAV to the effect that if a man could build a house before he Avas seen doing it that building must be allOAved to stand. The Avine "merchane Avent straight from consulting him lawyer to hire some bricklayers. But again he found himself up against authority. Don Saverio forbade any labourer to work for him. At last Bucci Avon to his side a master builder Avho fortunately had a small trade union of workmen under him in shape of eleven sons. When, lioavever, they tried to get Avater to mix the mortar they found that Don Saverio had put all the wells under guard. The Last Laugh.

But nothing could stop Bucci noAv. “Let the mortar be mixed Avith my Avine," ire cried; and it Avas. All through the dark night the men A\ r orked Avithout a pause, and though the fumes of the Avine made them so drowsy that they scarcely knew where to lay the next stone, by the time Don Saverio looked out of his villa, to see what the morning Avas like there Avas an ugly wine-red building spoiling his vieAV Avith its tAvo storeys.

That is the history of the house that is now being pulled down.