La fula - il maglio - il torchio

		The "Fula of Piccol" Further upstream of Mill of Dosso there was another activity, hydraulically operated, that opens a chapter on the history of our valley, too quickly forgotten. Clinging on the side of the City of Cosio stood a building, with drywall, owned by Giovanni Rabbiosi (1875-1953). This character, an inhabitant of Dosso, had in a single room the wooden devices for fulling. The so called “fula del Piccol”, consisted of two hammers that beated (fulled) the “burash” produced by looms of Valgerola. The hammers were operated by a wheel driven by water and tissues of hemp and of wool blends were immersed in a large case called "albi". With the beating operation sharpness and impurities were removed, cleaning and softening the tissue. This activity ceased to exist in late 1946 and in my memory, like in that of travelers going up or down the valley on foot, is still alive the batten noise of the "fula del Piccol".
	The hammer of San Martino – Valgerola Since ancient times, the water was known as an energy source. Its primary utilization came from the mills, but another and less known application was that of the hammer to flatten and work the iron in order to obtain tools for common use. With a waterfall, even at lower pressures, the paddle wheel was turning the main shaft on which three wooden pins of ash or oak were fixed and rotating leaned on the final part of the hammer, lifting it. When the wooden pin ends his rotatory motion, rod and hammer at its extremity fall over the anvil on red hot iron. The speed and rhythm of the beats depend on the paddle wheel and the water flow. The work of the hammer is required to rough-hew the iron, the final form is given by the smith. The hammer of San Martino was built accordingly to the presence of the smelter and mine in Gerola, already existing in the 1350 period.
	Graphic reconstruction of the hydraulic hammer of San Martino - Valgerola	Detail of the passage of the wooden pin that lifts the arm of the hammer
		Old press in Bema Base of press for the grape, rediscovered in Bema (Valgerola). It was used by community in the country to squeeze grapes ripened in the "Ref" at the valley.