A village of artisans in wood, buried among pines on a zigzag ascent to the Maiella. For centuries it supplied the implements Italian housewives needed for the main task of the day, namely making the pasta. The chitarra or harp-like frame, the serrated mallet, the ravioli mould, the metre-long paddle for stirring – they all originated at Pretoro and people still come from far afield to buy them.