as well as the manufacture of lumber for construction. A small quarry yielded limestone which was then baked so it could be used to produce cement products. Suburb Case Menghini (Menghini Family Homes) This location consists of a small cluster of interconnected homes belonging to several owners. In past years the wealthy Menghini family occupied what was then one large structure. Attesting to its significance are the presence of protected niches that could be used by armed guardsmen to protect the dwelling from brigand attacks. Several grand reception rooms contain very large fireplaces. Adjoining buildings are smaller in dimension and contain sleeping and other living quarters. I gafii (wooden balconies) Two of the structures in Valle Piola have attached to them a wooden balcony known as a gafio. One is the house of the Menghini family located on the town outskirts. A second is found in the old town center. This second house once served as a stable and was recently restored by two individuals from Torricella Sicura, the carpenter Offredo Polidori, and his son Mario. The gafio balconies serve as vestiges of Valle Piola's ancient connections with northern Lombardic peoples. The term gafio ("lu gafie" in the local Abruzzese dialect) comes from the Lombardic word "waifa", meaning "space which is non private." These covered wooden balconies constituted precisely such areas. A close examination of the gafio balconies speaks to the highly developed craftsmanship of the Abruzzese and Lombardic tradesmen while working with wooden materials. The gafio balconies are unique in that they are able to support the weight of floorboards, one or more human occupants and, in the cold winter months, snow on the protective covering above. It is difficult to imagine how any material besides wood could be better suited to the construction of these protruding dwelling structures. Streets Records show that Valle Piola has always had but one street, Via della Fauna, which leads to the nearby village of Poggio Valle. Smaller paths, including a mule trail, have connected Valle Piola with Acquaratola (a hike of approximately 40 minutes by foot), the town cemetery, and Case Menghini. In the past, a carriageway provided a shortcut from Case Menghini to the Valle Piola cemetery. Frequently, heavy mountain rains made Via della Fauna impassable. In the 1950s a rudimentary bridge was constructed over the Rio de Valle thereby, largely eliminating the effects of this bothersome natural event. Water springs