Sometimes it is easy to forget that Barga is a walled city with a culture and a thriving way of life stretching back right through to mediaeval times. It is changing and changing rapidly as the “modern world” encroaches on the culture here but let’s not forget for instance that many of the small villages dotted around the mountains surrounding the city were only accessible by road as recently as the 50s and 60s.
Up until then people, goods and services (and also new incoming concepts) were all brought in on foot or by mule. Any changes that have happened have happened slowly. That is until recently. The advent of radio, then television and now the Internet has brought the world rushing in.
Some of the changes are enormous – groundbreaking, earthshaking (hmmm, probably not a good word to use in this area)
The bouts of well attended Facebook parties that have sprouted up in the area in the recent past is just one example of huge social change. Much of the youth of the area are now using social networking across the Internet and cellphones as a tool to meet and interact each other – much to the undisguised horror of some of the older residents who remember a far more tactile system for getting to know their (maybe) future partners – dancing to live music in the piazzas.
So it came as a bit of a shock a couple of years ago to see a young couple, both with their unusable cell phones in hand wandering around Barga Vecchia unable to track down or contact a resident of the city. This interaction was not to be digital or virtual but a real meeting which would manage to seamlessly cross cultures and centuries without blinking an eye.
I knew the person they were looking for and where he lived and so two minutes later we were all standing in one of the narrow stone streets in Barga Vecchia shouting up at the closed window above us.
Finally the window opens and the conversation starts.
Me “Good morning Quinto, this young woman has a small problem that she thinks you might be able to help her with”.
Quinto “ah, let me guess, you have a problem with warts?”
Young woman “yes they are on my foot and it is making it very difficult to walk.”
Quinto “okay this is not a problem I can sort that out but not now”
Young Woman “wonderful so when can I come to see you?”
Quinto “you will have to wait at least another 12 days as the moon is not yet correct. So come and see me in 13 days time”
Young Woman “how long will it take to sort the problem out? ”
Quinto “difficult to say, but yes I will get rid of all your warts for you. I have just had the doctor’s wife here and sorted her warts out so yours should be no problem”
Quinto who died in his sleep peacefully yesterday was one of the few remaining Segnatore practicing in this area.
The segnatore treat their patients by making some signs (hence the name) with their hand or with a few specific items on the part of the body affected by the problem, combined with reciting phrases or words, usually (but not always) of a Christian origin.
A good part of the work for Segnatore in this area is the removal of ” Malocchio – the evil eye” from their patients. First of all they had to find out if there actually is the evil eye on the person. This is done by filling a white plate with water and holding it over the head of the (possibly) affected person. Three drops of oil are dropped in a particular way onto the water. If the three drops remain compact there is no Malocchio. If on the other hand the oil disintegrates and spreads across the water surface then the evil eye is present.
In the year 1250, if you wanted to cure warts, you were required to procure a live eel, fresh or salt water species were both acceptable, and cut its head off. Rub the hot blood of the eel over the afflicted area. Allow to stand until the blood dries and do not wash the body parts so treated for at least three days. Bury the head of the eel deeply within the earth. Remember where you buried it, so you can check its decomposition —- if required. As the head of the eel rots over time, the warts will disappear. This cure generally works better in the summer months, because the eel’s head rots faster.
La verifica della presenza del malocchio in una persona viene attuata con un metodo molto conosciuto, che consiste nel mettere un po’ d’acqua in un piatto bianco (per altri non ha importanza il colore), porre il piatto sopra la testa della persona da esaminare (senza appoggiarlo), aggiungervi tre gocce d’olio (o una sola o un numero vario) facendole gocciolare dal mignolo della mano destra oppure direttamente dalla bottiglia o ancora da un cucchiaio nel quale è stato messo anche un rametto d’olivo con un filo da cucito intorno e bruciato con la fiamma di una candela, e osservarne il comportamento: se le gocce rimangono integre non c’è malocchio, se si disintegrano il malocchio è presente.
Quinto Lazzurri was in born 1928 and during his 86 years on the planet tried out various professions ranging from contadino, miller, cobbler, handyman, builder and for over 25 years worked in the foundry at Fornaci di Barga before retiring in 1982. In Barga he had another role to play and one which he took very seriously. He was (probably) the last remaining segnatore still practising his art in Barga Vecchia.
The segnatore treat their patients by making some signs (hence the name) with their hand or with a few specific items on the part of the body affected by the problem, combined with reciting phrases or words, usually (but not always) of a Christian origin.
Quinto’s speciality was that of having an ability to remove warts.
He claimed that it is a given ability and not learnt – you either have it or you don’t.
He also thought that his powers to heal had been declining as he got older and so it took him longer to heal people than it used to in his youth but that did not stop him from working.
A constant stream of people over the years have made monthly pilgrimages to his house. They arrive only when there is the luna calante – the waning phase of the moon – any time after full moon and before new moon. According to Quinto, if he performed his signs during the waxing moons phase, if would cause the warts to grow not shrink and could even be dangerous.
His clients included the daughter of a local doctor who although very sceptical of the whole affair took his daughter to see Quinto after laser treatment failed to remove her facial warts. Quinto counted her as one of his success stories.
Another he rated even more successful was an American woman who photographed the warts on her foot and sent him the photograph. He says he performed his work on the photograph and the warts cleared up on her foot while she was still on the other side of the Atlantic.
The other good part of the work for Segnatore in this area was the removal of ” Malocchio – the evil eye” from their patients.
First of all they had to find out if there actually is the evil eye on the person. This was done by filling a white plate with water and holding it over the head of the (possibly) affected person. Three drops of oil are dropped in a particular way onto the water. If the three drops remain compact there is no Malocchio. If on the other hand the oil disintegrates and spreads across the water surface then the evil eye is present.
In the year 1250, if you wanted to cure warts, you were required to procure a live eel, fresh or salt water species were both acceptable, and cut its head off. Rub the hot blood of the eel over the afflicted area. Allow to stand until the blood dries and do not wash the body parts so treated for at least three days. Bury the head of the eel deeply within the earth. Remember where you buried it, so you can check its decomposition —- if required. As the head of the eel rots over time, the warts will disappear. This cure generally works better in the summer months, because the eel’s head rots faster.
La verifica della presenza del malocchio in una persona viene attuata con un metodo molto conosciuto, che consiste nel mettere un po’ d’acqua in un piatto bianco (per altri non ha importanza il colore), porre il piatto sopra la testa della persona da esaminare (senza appoggiarlo), aggiungervi tre gocce d’olio (o una sola o un numero vario) facendole gocciolare dal mignolo della mano destra oppure direttamente dalla bottiglia o ancora da un cucchiaio nel quale è stato messo anche un rametto d’olivo con un filo da cucito intorno e bruciato con la fiamma di una candela, e osservarne il comportamento: se le gocce rimangono integre non c’è malocchio, se si disintegrano il malocchio è presente.
Le verruche, volgarmente dette porri, vengono distinti dai segnatori in maschi e femmine e il segnatore può guarire solo quelli del suo stesso sesso. Il paziente non deve guardare i porri dopo la segnatura, per questo è più facile che guariscano gli animali degli esseri umani. La segnatura ha un effetto migliore quando la luna è calante, viceversa se è crescente l’effetto è opposto e la verruca peggiora (cresce). Le verruche vengono trattate in base a diverse procedure, delle qual la più comune è tracciare tre segni di croce o di pentacolo (un gruppo di salomone iscritto in un cerchio) su ogni verruca con l’indice della mano destra (anche bagnato di acqua benedetta) o con crocifissi, medaglie o anelli, oppure con un pezzetto di un ciocco di legno bruciato durante la notte di Natale. Le formule associate sono composte di due-tre o quattro versi che invocano la benedizione e/o la guarigione del paziente da parte di Dio, della Vergine (invocata anche come Maria), di Cristo, di San Giuseppe, la Trinità e un santo non identificato (perché tenuto segreto dalla segnatrice intervistata).
Altri metodi ancora sono: tracciare segni di croce sulla verruca con l’indice della mano destra bagnato dall’acqua prelevata da tre fonti diverse; sotterrare dei rametti di salice lungo un fosso pieno d’acqua in movimento pensando alla persona malata; e infine il metodo della mano talpata, che consiste nel carezzare e pizzicare le verruche con la mano da parte di individui che da piccoli sono stati sottoposti ad una prova particolare: stringere con la mano una talpa fino ad ucciderla. – source – Wikipedia
Click on the link below for a brief interview recorded back in 2009 with Quinto Lazzurri, probably the last segnatore still practising his art in Barga (in Italiano)