The old chestnut drying method take its name from the building called Metato.

It's a two rooms small stone house with one room in the lower part and one in the overlying portion. The fire is lit on the lower floor for slowly drying the chestnuts which are spread out over the grates forming the floor of the upper room. The weak fire must be fed at least four times daily, at least one month long: this is the reason why it implies great responsibilities managing metato!

People agree with the metato manager the allowed period during which the own chestnuts can be brought for drying; the chestnuts are measured inside a wooden container called "mezzino" (pitcher) and then entered inside the metato's upper room. Do consider that the final yield is about a third of the initial one because the chestnuts volume considerably drops during the drying process. One month later the metato is ready to be opened and the chestnuts, still hot, are beaten inside a machine to eliminate the brown peel and the chaff as well.

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