You won’t find too many people who say that Italian homes aren’t attractive. From the stone residenze scattered across the hills of Tuscany to the bright apartments straddling Venice’s canals, Italian interiors ooze a potent mix of history, culture and timeless chic. But perhaps the most striking emergent element when it comes to the marriage of abodes and their occupants in the bel paese is the idea that most traditional and historical houses of middle and upper class Italian residents boast two kitchens. And why not? It stems from the deeply ingrained culinary roots of the nation, and remains one of the most enduring legacies of past generations.
When we step into Italian homes, we peel back layers of narratives, habits and rituals of food. The Italian double kitchen is not simply an architectural anomaly, it’s an ode to food, family, and sacred customs that have persisted through the same generations that live in these homes. Let’s explore the reasons behind this feature in Italian homes and the staying power that continues to evoke this lifestyle around the world.
The tradition of two kitchens in Italian culture
Italian homes are fond of two kitchens – why? The tradition, established centuries ago, draws from both practicality and symbolic and ritualistic aspects.
For a lot of Italians, the kitchen was the centre of the house – where a lot of eating took place along with just hanging out and sharing news and anecdotes, passing on recipes, etc – and it was great to have two kitchens that outlined a clear area for regular cooking – and one for more elaborate preparations, or entertaining.
The first kitchen – the cucina di casa, or home kitchen – is where meals for the family were made. This was the space for everyday cooking, the hard working labour of love. In this kitchen, counterspace abounded, appliances were sturdy and modest, and a welcoming fireplace crackled away in the corner, making whatever the day may have brought seem a bit cosier.
The second kitchen, the cucina di festa (celebration kitchen), was a special occasion space reserved for holidays, family gatherings or formal dinner parties, usually larger and more embellished than the lavoratorio, prepared for producing more intricate dishes and desserts, and set up with elaborate equipment and tools. It is a place for true culinary artistry and a passionate veneration of the traditions of Italian cuisine.
Historical reasons for the two-kitchen concept
The two-kitchen system has its roots as far back as the Renaissance, when wealthy Italian families competed for status in their entertaining. During this time, new grand villas and palaces were built, equipped with at least two kitchens – one for daily use, another for special occasions.
It meant the kitchen staff was able to fit in staging delicious feasts or banquets without interfering with the day-to-day activities of the family in the reception area. It also meant that the smells and other sounds of the kitchen were not allowed to emanate into the main living spaces: an intrusion of the dining experience itself that would have been against the maintenance of a certain formalised elegance and quietude in those areas.
It was to be found in outlying areas, where many people worked in agriculture and keeping a second kitchen was more about preserving the separate commercial activities of farm families. An investigation published in the Journal des Contes Moraux and Politiques simplement dédiée neuf en faveur de l’intérêt général (1702), a periodical for the crème of the Parisian literati, spelled out various examples of ordinary commodities produced ‘in the garret, in the stable, in the back of the house, under the kitchen, in the little cellar above the well’; crucial to the maintenance of town-folk healthy eating was the need for formal separation and a careful system of hygiene. In other words, the second Italian cabinetry would be kept for carrying out maintenance activities that contributed to the immediate household needs – curing, drying, cheese-making, the bottling of wine.
The practicality of having two kitchens
Aside from its historical and cultural milestones, a two-kitchen plan can be a godsend to modern living. In addition to satisfying the canonisation of space, here are some of the more practical benefits. 1. Dirty cooking garbage can be arranged in one place. Clean utensils can be placed on one counter in another. 2. You will never be fearful of your guests witnessing how disgusting the kitchen is after you cook something at the very instent that they stroll in for tea. 3. Should you and your spouse have a power struggle over the kitchen space – as couples often suffer from room turf battles – then this is the arrangement to endorse. They get the kitchen. You get a kitchen. 4. No more hiding food in the pantry lest your fragile gourmand of a husband chances upon it. You get yours, and he gets his. Hence, this domestic design deserves to be immortalized and celebrated in its own right.
Separation of Duties: The kitchen has two rooms, one for daily cooking and one for special occasions or entertaining. It is a good idea to divide the kitchen because it allows the main kitchen to remain functional and uncluttered even when large or special scale cooking happens.
Noise and odour isolation: Separating cooking spaces helps to isolate cooking smells and sounds, particularly when entertaining guests by minimising the impact of aromatic cooking on the atmosphere in the main living rooms.
Storage and organisation: Having two kitchens means more storage space available to keep special equipment, servingware and ingredients you need only for certain occasions or cooking techniques.
Preservation of Traditions: Preserving (and passing down) traditional Italian recipes and techniques is the self-proclaimed mission of the sacred ‘cucina di festa’. It is here that family members come together to learn about, savour and cherish what has been cooked by their predecessors and to create dishes that could potentially become family heritage.
Catering on a Grand Scale: Because Italian families eat and cook with a constantly changing community of dining guests, it makes sense for the kitchen to be split into two parts. One part serves to entertain on a grand scale, serving drinks and simple nibbles, freeing up space to cook on an industrial scale for more formal dinner parties. The space requirements of these elaborate meals that take hours to prepare and are eaten over leisurely courses would be impractical in the live show genuinely used for producing food to eat the same day. Italy has a tradition of producing the most divine desserts but, by separating the space for cooking from the space where the food is served, one can produce an unprecedented feast that will truly wow guests.
Modern adaptations of the two-kitchen concept
Although clearly out of date in modern times, some illustrations of the two-kitchen organisation might underpin contemporary Italian homes and restaurants. Here are a few examples.
Contemporary Italian domestic buildings often use the scheme of two kitchens as a two-zone conceptual device for open-plan provision, having only one laid-out piece of kitchen utensils and cooking apparatus as a happy compromise with current life choices. The space for everyday cooking is adjacent to a separate area, ‘a strange animal with many offspring’ as Aram said of the forlorn above-counter console cupboards, an ‘entertaining area’ containing specialised equipment and artfully arranged seats for those cooking for others.
Outdoor Kitchens: many Italian homeowners, drawing on principles of ancient Romans who enjoyed eating outside, have constructed al fresco cucina to cook for warm-weather celebrations and parties as well as for regular dining. Often the outdoor cooking and eating area includes a pizza oven plus a grill and countertop space.
Restaurant Kitchens: The two-kitchen model is used widely in Italian restaurants, typically with a kitchen for daily service with waiter service, and a second, often larger and more substantial kitchen which is used for banquets, private parties and other specialised catering duties.
Cooking Schools and Culinary Workshops: many homes and businesses have transformed one of their kitchens into a centre for cooking classes, workshops, demos, hands-on cooking lessons and labs to share and preserve culinary tradition with increasingly ever-present food lovers world wide.
Luxury: Hospitality Industry: High-end Italian villas and resorts now offer the two-kitchen format as a luxury during long stays; the arrangement typically provides a residential kitchen for guest use, and a professional chef’s kitchen where private chefs can create gourmet meals or hold cooking demonstrations.
Conclusion: The enduring charm of Italian homes and their dual kitchens
Now that we’ve come to the end of our journey to understand this la ricetta per two kitchens housed in the average Italian home, what have we learned? That this is much more than just an idiosyncrasy of Italian vernacular architecture. It’s a manifestation of rich cultural mores, seasoned by tradition and love for food, that – as we all well know – is part and parcel of la dolce vita italiana.
The two kitchens are not only a necessity, but also a reflection of the values of family, hospitality, and the continuation of the great Italian culinary tradition. Food doesn’t just nourish us; it brings us together, creates connections, and makes memories.
For a Tuscan farmhouse, an apartment in a new city or anywhere in between, the Italian homes with two kitchens do a very nice job of making us pause, indulge in the pleasures of food and, ideally, cook it with ardour and devotion.