One of the most intriguing historical aspects of Piatta is the presence of the sciòber, the shoemakers. Piatta is often referred to as “the village of shoemakers” because many of its residents were cobblers who, after completing the summer tasks of haymaking, potato harvesting, and fertilizing the fields, would leave the village to practice their trade elsewhere. Their destinations varied: many traveled to the plains, to the provinces of Brescia, Bergamo, or Varese, while others emigrated to Switzerland (Canton Ticino and Graubünden) and lived away from home for 7 to 8 months, either alone or accompanied by a family member, often a son to whom they would teach the craft.
This form of temporary emigration was crucial for the survival of many impoverished families, to whom the shoemakers sent their remittances. This necessity led to the secrecy of “trade secrets,” ensuring that the profession remained in demand. From this need arose the so-called “plat di sciòber” (linguist Don Remo Bracchi hypothesizes a derivation from placĭtum with the extended meaning of pedantic), a specific jargon spoken only by shoemakers and incomprehensible to outsiders, mixing terms from German and Romansh. Many words in this dialect were related to their work, but there were also common words tied to daily life.
The life of the shoemakers, like that of other emigrants from the Alpine valleys, was tough and always on the move. Journeys were typically made on foot or, if lucky, by cart, heading south or towards Graubünden and Ticino. In more recent times, they used the coach to Tirano, from where they continued by train through Valtellina and beyond. The head of the family and the older children, aged between 11 and 15, would set off carrying the minèla. This term referred to the wooden bench that the shoemaker took everywhere, serving as both a seat and a backpack. It consisted of a folding lid, which also expanded the work surface, and beneath it was a drawer holding various necessary tools. Below that, a small cabinet contained wooden shoe forms—identical for both feet and sharply pointed—that were used to make the shoes.
