THE CHESTNUT GROVE AND THE DRYERS

The chestnut is a plant that dominates mesophile groves, i.e. those groves that necessitate cool and humid climatic conditions to develop. Among the most characteristic species that accompany the chestnut grove in our area, there are oak, hornbeam, and hazel. Once the chestnut was considered a very precious plant, because its fruits were a fundamental nourishment in the long winter periods.

The valued wood was used to make furniture, staves for barrels, beams and especially poles that lasted long. Chestnuts were eaten fresh, but especially dried, to guarantee their long storage. With dried chestnuts, once milled, a flour was produced, which was used for the preparation of bread, buns, cakes and even first courses. The species cultivated in this area were the ruscioie, giancoie etc., all tasty and of small dimensions. The drying process took place in the “canizzi”, simple stone buildings, such as this one, with a ceiling made of wooden beams and canes or listels, on which a layer of circa 25-30cm of fresh chestnuts were placed. The heat and smoke produced by a fire lit on the pavement inside dried the chestnuts.

Once dehydrated, the fruits were beaten with particular canes or put inside sacks made of hemp and beaten on a log to separate them from the peel. At this point, after an accurate selection, the chestnuts were placed in sacks of cloth for storage or carried to the mill to be grinded.

Nowadays, however, the abandonment of these groves, due to the scarce economic return, threatens to noticeably reduce the biodiversity of flora and fauna of the underwood.