As well as the roof, the couple also had to remove the internal walls. "Partly made of cement, clay, and lime, they were crumbling down, so it was a mandatory step of the renovation," Maddalena explains. They then spent a lot of time and energy removing the old plaster that was covering the remaining structural walls.

Amazingly, the couple single-handedly removed 141 cubic feet of old plaster. "Once this was done, we were able to re-plaster the inside walls with a hemp and lime mix. This provides natural insulation to help keep the home warm."

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