Restaurant “L'Acchiatura”

The Acchiatura, in the legends from Salento, is a container, a precious case of treasure.  It is said that an Acchiatura is hidden in the walls of this building containing a very antic artefact: a golden hen with its cheeks. The treasure is guarded by the Scazzamurreddhu or Laurieddhu, a naughty pixie of ancient origin, a fantastic figure deep-rooted in the popular tradition. With different names, with similar characteristics but with different predilections depending on the territory where he accomplishes his, very often, incomprehensible mandate, this pixie, still alive in the rural reality of the South, shares a common history with human kind. In other words, there’s always been a quid linked to mystery, to the incapacity of man to fully dominate Nature. This is why the Scazzamurreddhu mocks the requests and habits of common people. Quoting  Carlo Levi: “they tickle the feet of who’s asleep, they pull the blankets away from beds, they throw sand in the eyes, they spill glasses of wine, they hide in drafts making cards fly away and making the laundry fall from the line as to dirty it, they pull chairs away from under women sitting, they hide objects in the most unexpected places, they make milk curdle, they pinch, they pull hair, they bite and whistle like mosquitoes, they love horsehair and tails which they weave in an inextricable way”.  He’s fond of his large and red hood. And that’s his week spot: if you’re able to steal it from him, he’ll do anything to have it back, even reveal the hiding of the acchiatura. According to tradition the  Sciacuddhi asks the few lucky ones that have the opportunity of speaking to him an easy question: “what would you like, sordi or tampagni”? That is: money or pot covers. Naturally he gives covers to those asking for money and money to those (very few we believe…) asking for covers. It is peculiar the way he changes his name so frequently, maybe stressing the multiple facets of his mysterious gait, with no fixed abode, but always found in the old houses of Salento.