Handicrafts in Emilia Romagna are a reality that are still alive and well, allowing traditions and local skills to be passed down through the generations. Montetiffi baking pans One of the typical products of Romagna is “piadina”, a soft flat bread with a unique flavour. Piadina is usually cooked on a unusual baking pan – called a “Montetiffi baking pan – that gives the bread its authentic natural taste. These round baking pans with raised edges, which are primarily made from a mixture of red and grey clays, are far better than more modern cooking techniques. These kitchen utensils have ancient origins, but they are still produced to this day in Montetiffi, a village near the town of Forlì, using traditional techniques passed down from father to son and using the original clay of Romagna. They are still popular with many people as they are considered the best way to cook piadina and far better compared to more modern pans. Romagna’s hand-printed fabric Without doubt, one of the best-known and most popular products made in southern Romagna is rust hand-printed fabric. Although the origins of this manual art have been lost in the mists of time, it is undoubtedly linked to the poor crafts typical of the rural and peasant world. Fabric is still printed to this day, using ancient techniques and traditional tools and engraved moulds soaked in colour and struck with a mallet. The moulds tend to be made from pear wood, which is easier to hand engrave using a chisel. The most common designs for printing on the fabric are floral motifs and farm animals. The traditional coloured paste is obtained from rust, which provides the most popular shades that range from orange to ochre, but other colours (which are obtained from mineral pastes) include various shades of blue and green and “old red”. Santarcangelo di Romagna boasts one of the oldest printing workshops, “Stamperia Marchi”. Its giant mangle, which dates back to 1633 and is the only one of its kind in the world in terms of size and weight, is still used to this day. Other famous artisan workshops include “Pascucci” and “Bertozzi” in Gambettola. Using conventional methods, these craft shops continue to preserve the age-old charm of this ancient art. Although hemp, which is now hard to find in these parts, has been replaced by linen, the items made using these methods are just as natural and long-lasting as ever. Printed fabric is used to create a selection of household items, including tablecloths, bedspreads, sheets, curtains and kitchen linens and towels. And each and every tablecloth, dish cloth or napkin is a unique piece that not even the finest industrial production can imitate!
