L'Italo-Americano

HERITAGE HISTORY IDENTITY TRADITIONS PEOPLE www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023 L'Italo-Americano F a r f r o m t h e cacophony of day t r i p p e r s , b u s y cafés, and shops s e l l i n g e v e r y - thing-lemon lies an almost forgotten piece of Amalfi's rich and fascinating history. A steady climb from sea level along Via San Lorenzo leads p a s t A m a l f i ' s s t u n n i n g Duomo, colorful pastel shop fronts, and numerous side alleys that entice the curious. The ascent levels off and cul- minates in what appears to be a quiet residential area along Via delle Cartiere – the "paper mill street." If the street name isn't clue enough, a simple sign on a vine-laced building stat- i n g M u s e o d e l l a C a r t a ( P a p e r M u s e u m ) m a k e s a p p a r e n t t h e t r a n q u i l q u a r t i e r e ' s ( n e i g h b o r - h o o d ' s ) h i s t o r y . W a i t i n g behind the humble wooden door is an immersion into the world of artisan paper- making, little changed from its beginnings centuries ago. Housed in an ancient paper mill dating to the 13th centu- ry, the museum is nothing less than a time machine. Guided tours whisk one away for an introduction to the industry that was a vital part of what made the ancient M a r i t i m e R e p u b l i c o f A m a l f i a n e p i c e n t e r o f trade, power, and wealth. While Amalfi was the first production center for paper- making in Italy, the seaside village can't take credit for introducing the craft. As one of Italy's most powerful mar- itime republics during the Middle Ages, Amalfi's vast trade dealings brought wide exposure to various cultures. Through frequent contact w i t h A r a b t r a d e r s w h o ' d been taught papermaking by the Chinese, local artisans mastered the process. It did- n't take long for the enter- prising Amalfitani to realize paper was a valuable com- modity. A robust trade econ- o m y r e q u i r e d c o n t r a c t s – contracts required paper. Why not avoid the perils of i m p o r t i n g f r o m f a r - a w a y lands and make it at home? T h e C a n n e t o R i v e r spills vigorously from the mountains towards the sea just above Amalfi, a perfect resource to power mills and provide water vital for paper production. Numerous mills s o o n a p p e a r e d s c a t t e r e d a l o n g s i d e t h e C a n n e t o where it carved the gentle v a l l e y a b o v e A m a l f i . T h e Valle dei Mulini – Valley of the Mills – supported a v i b r a n t i n d u s t r y t h a t churned out Charta Bam- bagina, the high-quality paper ubiquitous in Amalfi. It wasn't long before digni- taries, including the Pope, throughout Southern Italy b e g a n u s i n g t h e s u p e r i o r paper for legal documents a n d c o r r e s p o n d e n c e . A s A m a l f i ' s p a p e r g a i n e d a global audience, popularity and demand for the product soared. A m a l f i ' s p a p e r m a k i n g heritage quite literally is a rags-to-riches story. The ori- g i n s o f t h e b a m b a g i n a method of using rags to cre- ate paper came about thanks to the keen observation of a Chinese minister way back in 105 AC. Ts'ai Lun took note that as clothing was beaten during cleaning, tiny fibers were released into the wash water. As the fibers r e g r o u p e d i n t h e m u r k y water, they clung together c r e a t i n g a p r o d u c t t h a t , when dried, was ideal for writing upon. With a little bit of fine-tuning, Lun devel- oped a predictable method for creating paper from cloth r a g s : a n e w p a r a d i g m r e p l a c i n g p a p y r u s h a d entered the world. E m p o w e r e d w i t h t h i s know-how, Amalfi's industry d e v e l o p e d a r o u n d a mechanical system hydrauli- cally fueled by river water. Huge wooden mallets vio- l e n t l y p o u n d e d p r e p a r e d rags of cotton, hemp, and linen into pulp called "whole paste." Immersed in a huge tile- lined vat filled with water a n d b i n d i n g a g e n t s , t h e paste was rigorously stirred with a large wooden paddle u n t i l i t b l e n d e d i n t o a n opaque slurry. It was now r e a d y f o r t h e n e x t s t e p . Small pallets of fine metal mesh bearing the producer's trademark, the "watermark," were securely sandwiched b e t w e e n w o o d e n f r a m e s , then individually plunged a n d s w i r l e d t h r o u g h t h e e m u l s i o n i n a n a l m o s t c h o r e o g r a p h e d m a n n e r . After a brief few moments, the pallet and its contents w e r e c a r e f u l l y l i f t e d . A p p e a r i n g m o r e l i k e a mushy mess, the resulting product was then cradled between woolen felt, rid of its excess water under the g r i p o f a p o w e r f u l s c r e w press, and hung out to dry. The result: a soft, finely tex- tured paper ideal for ink and paint. Amalfi's mills cranked out bambagina for hundreds o f y e a r s , i t s q u a l i t y a n d desirability the stuff of leg- ends. Change is inevitable, though, and thus it came. T h e 1 7 0 0 s d e l i v e r e d t h e a d v e n t o f u t i l i z i n g w o o d pulp to create paper, a sim- p l i f i e d p r o c e s s t h a t decreased the demand for r a g p a p e r . T h e f o l l o w i n g century brought the Indus- trial Age and perhaps the coup-de-grâce to Amalfi's beloved industry. Despite their efficiency and ingenu- ity, the medieval paper mills could not keep up with the rapid and less costly manu- f a c t u r e t h a t a u t o m a t i o n m a d e p o s s i b l e . E v e n i f Amalfi's production declined over the years, it never com- pletely disappeared thanks to southern Italian tenacity and the value of tradition. As late as 1954, Amalfi counted 16 paper mills still s t a n d i n g i n t h e V a l l e d e i Mulini, many of them still running small-scale produc- tions. A devastating flood that year, however, literally c h a n g e d t h e l a n d s c a p e . W h e n t h e d e b r i s w a s c l e a r e d , o n l y t h r e e m i l l s remained. The tradition of artisan papermaking could n o t b e s o e a s i l y w a s h e d away, though, and lives on thanks to two local families w h o s e r o o t s a r e d e e p l y planted in papermaking tra- dition. Entering the doors of the Cartiera Amatruda mill l o c a t e d o n V i a d e l l e Cartiere one might think, other than for the modern attire of the artisans, they'd stepped through a time warp into the 1500s. The noisy w h i r r s a n d h u m s o f t h e ancient machinery still per- form the labors to produce b a m b a g i n a just as they have for hundreds of years under the watchful eyes of the Amatruda family. Their artisanal creations and love for tradition continue to pro- vide Amalfi and the world with La Carta di Amalfi, a product coveted for formal i n v i t a t i o n s , s t a t i o n a r y , painting, or simply for the joy of a beautifully crafted object. For a hands-on experi- ence, the earlier-mentioned Museo della Carta can't be missed. Established in 1969 by Nicola Milano to p r e s e r v e h i s f a m i l y ' s a n d Amalfi's history, the living museum features 500-year- old machinery that still func- tions using the Canneto's h a r n e s s e d f l o w . G u i d e d tours allow for total immer- s i o n i n t h e p r o c e s s f r o m start to finish. Those that d o n ' t m i n d s t i c k i n g t h e i r h a n d s i n t h e " f u l l p a s t e " goop can even make a sheet of paper! It's a fascinating journey watching the ele- m e n t s o f c h i s e l e d w o o d , stone, and cloth brought into harmony to create a luxuri- ous product. At the end, a well-stocked gift shop makes it possible to take home your o w n s e l e c t i o n o f A m a l f i ' s rags-to-riches history. A moment in the preparation of paper (Photo: Luca Lorenzelli/Shutterstock) From rags to riches: Amalfi's ancient paper-making practice lives on PAULA REYNOLDS

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