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sausages for the whole year. Many families also had goats and sheep which provided milk ( almost exclusively used to make cheese ), baby goats, lambs ,and wool. Working in the fields was hard and inefficient but gave total independence to each family. Cooking was done in the fireplace in the kitchen. There was a chain and hook hanging in the middle of the fireplace to hold the cooking pots on the wood fire. The most common cooking pot was the "cuttur", a copper pot with a handle by which it was held over the fire by the hook and chain. The exterior of this type of pot was blackened by the use on the fire and had a flaky

and slightly greasy texture. Some very poor people blackened their shoes with this soot. Another important utensil was the "pignata", a bellied clay pot, placed next to the fire to cook beans and other legumes.

The fire was built on a large slab-stone in the center of the fireplace. Pizzas and food to be baked were placed on this stone and covered with an iron bell-shaped cover on which hot
charcoals were piled to allow the food to be baked. The fireplace was also the only source of heat for the whole house. Some peoples in extremely cold days would also put some hot charcoals in a round copper and brass brazier to augment some heat to the place. The fireplace, besides its functional purpose, was the focal point around
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which the members of the family sat, especially in the long winter nights. People who were too poor to put a big log in the fireplace to keep the fire going for the whole evening, either went to bed early or visited other families.

These gatherings around the fireplace provided interaction with other members of the family and friends. They often offered the opportunity to roast potatoes or chestnuts which were accompanied by a glass of wine. It was often around the fireplace that some gifted storyteller in the group entertained all with fantastic stories. These stories were sometimes based on the personal experiences and related to work or war times. Other times the stories were based on adventurous readings of the storyteller. Some of the stories dealt with ghosts and the supernatural which were always common and frightening themes of the local folklore. Some other stories were simply old legends of magic times, knights, princesses, treasures, rewards, and wicked stepmothers. The fireplace also served as a place of meditation and of cherished memories on lonely evenings.

While from spring to fall the work was hard, the winter offered some leisure time, relatively speaking that is. The animals had to be cared and fed daily. People also prepared for the next season: they sharpened tools, pointed poles and canes for the vineyards and gardens, cleaned cellars, repaired donkeys' harnesses, patched sacs, and prepared the