QR4b THE CECROPE MAVILLA STONEMASON TOOLBOX
On the ground floor of the Malavilla is the toolbox of Cecrope Malavilla, a stonemason and mason from Rimagna, in the Parma Apennines, municipality of Monchio delle Corti. It is the classic toolbox that every stonemason had, almost a symbol, his working companion, ready to solve every sandstone work, used to shape wall stones or corners from a larger boulder.
In it you will find: the "testù" or "testone" (big head), used to hit the wedges inserted in the boulder to obtain its first opening. In addition to the ever-present mace or "masol", there is the "giandino" or "piciantòn", a chisel with a flat, thick point for the first roughing of the cutting line, the chisels or points to refine the stones and make them more regular; lead and square to check the perpendicularity of the wall and square the corners, complete the box.
Cecrope Malavilla, known as ‘Šeco’, was born in Rimagna on 7 January 1907, the last of eighteen children. He was therefore invited to make a life of his own at a very early age and had to buy a stone ruin where he began to live with his wife while they both worked on the reconstruction of the house, to which Cecrope continued to dedicate himself until the end of his days. He often worked as a team with Aladino Dalcielo, and participated in the construction of the Lake Ballano hydroelectric reservoir and numerous houses in the municipality of Monchio. It is said that he was of such extreme precision that at the slightest mistake he preferred to throw everything away and start again. His brother Michele was a talented stonemason and created the Trefiumi fountain and the war memorial in Valditacca. While he was working, he would often repeat aloud: ‘Tic, Tic, Tic always poor and never rich!’.