Boiler for dyeing fishing nets

Furnace with copper boiler built in 1948 (after the dismantlement of the previous one in Via del Marinaio) and used until the end of the 1960s, when fishing nets were still in plant fiber (hemp and cotton) and needed to be “dyed” to prevent the yarn from deteriorating.

This large “cauldron” can contain about 650 liters, and to bring the water to a boil, approximately two quintals of wood and four hours of high heat were needed. Then, one quintal of chestnut peel was added to the water, releasing into it – in one hour of boiling – the tannin it is rich in. Only at this point, the fishing net was immersed and left to soak for a few hours, so that the yarn absorbed the precious dye making it waterproof.

In the past, this procedure was performed regularly, every month, and it was ensured that the supply of “rusca” (i.e. “chestnut peel”) from the Verbano valleys was always constant.