Last minute Cerreto di Spoleto: the festival of the quack

''Cerretano, the man who traffics on the squares in balsams or other medicines, takes out teeth and does sleights of hand, . from Cerreto, village in Umbria from where usually came suchlike persons who used to make money with various falsities''.

So is defined the term ''cerretano'' (inhabitants of Cerreto) in the ancient dictionary of the Accademia della Crusca (Florentine literary academy). According to the tradition the term developed to ''ciarlatano'', what is quack in English, and what calls a person who practices as a healer or who similarly takes advantage of the good faith of the people, all with the aim to gain money or other advantages with false pretensions.

As a matter of fact this tradition isn't nor so unrealistic as one could think, neither too defamatory, in case one would investigate thoroughly the reasons. Indeed, the medicinal use of herbs and balsams is due to the profound knowledge regarding the curative properties of the herbs of the many monks and hermits in this zone in the past centuries.

In August Cerreto di Spoleto organizes an event, the Feast of the quack, to bring back to memory a piece of history and folklore connected with the territory. During the ceremony take place theatre performances and exhibitions with the documents and evidences that help to understand who and what were the ''cerretani''.

Moreover it is an opportunity to taste the typical dishes of the local gastronomy, the local handicrafts as well as the precious truffle, a real speciality of the territory.

Cerreto di Spoleto, a village in the forest - Cerreto di Spoleto is a quite particular village with the characteristic physiognomy of a village, that had to fight for its independence and for its survival for many...
The CEDRAV of Cerreto di Spoleto - At Cerreto di Spoleto the CEDRAV, the Centro per la Documentazione e la Ricerca Antropologica in Valnerina e nella Dorsale Appenninica (Centre of document...