History and culture: Agriculture, Oral idioms, Peasant life

Agricultural Tools

The work tools in the Tigullio gardens: a journey through history

From the late Middle Ages onwards, the work tools used in the gardens of Tigullio have undergone constant evolution. One of the oldest and most fundamental tools is the hoe, known in Latin as “sapelium”. Its importance as a tool for land colonization is documented in numerous historical studies.

Hugo Plomteux’s Investigation

In the 1980s, Belgian researcher Hugo Plomteux conducted an ethnographic study on peasant culture in Val Graveglia, confirming the centuries-old use of traditional agricultural equipment. The research revealed that, despite changes over time, the tools used by local farmers were closely linked to the pedology of the soils and the specific crops of the region.

The Main Tools: The Sáppa Cián-a and the Sáppa Búrca

Two of the most commonly used tools were the “sáppa cián-a” (flat hoe) and the “sáppa búrca” (double-ended hoe). These tools had various evolutions, adapting to the specific needs of the crops, but always maintaining their traditional characteristics. For more particular jobs, smaller and more specialized versions, called “sapetette”, were used.

Tool Production: From Craftsmanship to Industry

In the most archaic communities, the same craftsman who forged agricultural tools also produced kitchen utensils. This close link between the production of tools and daily life demonstrates how the territory and cuisine were interconnected. Today, however, the production of agricultural tools and cookware is completely industrialized.

Conclusion

The analysis of Tigullio agricultural tools offers a precious window into the past, revealing how tradition and innovation have intertwined over time. The tools used by farmers not only reflect agricultural needs, but also the cultural and technological evolution of local communities. This symbiotic relationship between land and cuisine has shaped the region’s agricultural and culinary identity, underlining the importance of tradition in daily life.

The work today is still mainly carried out with manual tools that harken back to tradition. Let’s see what they are:

Pointed hoe (Sáppa búrca)

He has two or three tips; it is used to break up the hardest soil; it is planted for about 30 cm in order to overturn the clod and allow the deeper part to get air, so that the soil is enriched with nitrogen, one of the elements that make it fertile.

Flat hoe (Sáppa cián-a or dipelandrun)

It is used to “mix” the soil, to remove the grass or to prepare the furrows where the vegetable seedlings are then sown or transplanted. It is also used to create and regulate the furrows with which the plants are irrigated.

Backing hoe (Rampìn)

It is used above all for the earthing operation in order to guarantee more humidity to the plants in periods of drought.

Spade

It is very similar to a shovel except that about 30 cm from the bottom it has an iron protrusion where you can place your foot for strength and sink it into the ground. It is used to mix not very hard soils.

Scythe (Sciuratta)

It is a tool with which you cut grain or fodder while standing. It is not very easy to use and for this reason it was mainly used by those with experience.

Sickle (Messuia or messalun-a)

It is used to cut small quantities of grass; it was mainly used by women who, to avoid cutting their fingers, protected the hand with which they held the grass in place with a handful of hay, called “malassa”.

Roncola (Marassa)

It is used to clean and cut slightly thicker shrubs and branches; the farmer used to always carry it with him attached to the back of his belt with an S-shaped hook, pleasantly called “Filippa”. In case of emergency it was supposed to be used to cut branches and knock down obstacles.

Accept

It is equipped with a wedge which is used to cut and split wood and beams and to sharpen poles.

Rake (Rastrellu)

Once upon a time he had wooden teeth, while today they are iron; It is used to collect leaves or cut grass without retaining the stones that are in the ground.

Trident (Furcùn)

It is useful for taking haystacks and building sheaves.

Water Stone or Whetstone (Pria)

It is a piece of natural abrasive stone, more or less rich in silicon, very hard and cut in the shape of a prism; It is used to sharpen the sickle or sickle. It must be kept soaking in water in a holster, because in this way the debris collected previously goes away. After about ten times you can no longer sharpen the tool with this technique, but you have to straighten it to recreate the “edge”.

Gear

It is a wedge that sticks into the ground, it is decorated with curls that prevent it from sinking under the blows of the beating. It is used to redo the edge and straighten the blade: place the sickle on top and with a hammer, with a rounded tip, hit a small part of the sickle and another part of the gear.

Sources

Viarengo G., “L’Albero della Cuccagna. Paesaggio, alimentazione e cucina nella Liguria di Levante”, Chiavari, Internòs, 2023

Oral: Anna Maria Scaltriti

Trekking and cycling routes that may interest you

Itineraries of different durations and suitable for every taste and level of preparation, to discover the most beautiful and evocative places and panoramas of the Ligurian Tigullio.