Centuries of Italian History Are Unearthed in Quest to Fix Toilet

nytimes ^ | APRIL 14, 2015 | By JIM YARDLEY

[yuffy]

LECCE, Italy — All Luciano Faggiano wanted when he purchased the seemingly unremarkable building at 56 Via Ascanio Grandi was to open a trattoria. He could run the trattoria on the ground floor and live upstairs with his wife and youngest son.

The only problem was the toilet.

Sewage kept backing up. So Mr. Faggiano enlisted his two older sons to help him dig a trench and investigate the underground sewage pipe. He predicted the job would take about a week, and soon after he would open his trattoria.

If only.

“We found underground corridors and other rooms, so we kept digging,” said Mr. Faggiano, 60. “Instead of a week, the excavation lasted seven years.”

[ClearCase_guy]

After watching the Faggiano men haul away debris in the back seat of the family car, neighbors also became suspicious and notified the authorities. Investigators arrived and shut down the excavations, warning Mr. Faggiano against operating an unapproved archaeological work site. Mr. Faggiano responded that he was just looking for a sewage pipe.

Ya gotta love Italy. They seem a bit more laid back that the US authorities might be.

[dfwgator]

“Other than that, what have the Romans ever done for us?”

[SkyPilot]

“Instead of a week, the excavation lasted seven years.”

That's the problem with a plumber. It always costs more and takes longer than the original estimate.

[SkyPilot]

The wine?

[Disambiguator]

Investigators arrived and shut down the excavations, warning Mr. Faggiano against operating an unapproved archaeological work site. Mr. Faggiano responded that he was just looking for a sewage pipe.

"It belongs in a museum!"

[nothingnew]

Interest?

FMCDH(BITS)

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Did they find Hillary’s missing emails down there? Why not? She probably send the paper copies down the crapper!

[Insigne123]

“Hell, they didn’t know what I latrine was til I showed ‘em”

[Flag_This]

So I guess a “trattoria” is some sort of Italian open pit mine, or something?

[Thorliveshere]

Wow! Amazing!

[This I Wonder32460]

Trattoria = Tavern = Pub?

[VanShuyten]

After reading the story, it’s obvious that he found some loot and forced his kids to keep digging. Why else could he afford to postpone opening his restaurant?

[bjorn14]

Italy is a lot like Israel where the joke is if you kick over a rock you have an archeological dig site.

[DenCos]

A small usually family owned restaurant.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks nothingnew and ADemocratNoMore.

[Fresh Wind]

Check out the museum website here:

http://www.museofaggiano.it/index.php

Yes, it’s in Italian, but it has very interesting pictures and a 3D tour.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Read the story:

Mr. Faggiano still dreamed of a trattoria, even if the project had become his white whale. He supported his family with rent from an upstairs floor in the building and income on other properties.

[NYer]

Fabulous article! Brings back happy memories of travels through Italy. Here is a link to his Museum.

[Rebelbase]

Way cool!