The street of artisans

by Annalisa Gerola

The Manifatttura Tabacchi wasn’t just a place for cigar rollers, the "Zigherane". The buildings of the large complex also employed office staff, day-care workers who cared for the young children of employees, medical staff and the canteen cooks.

Most interesting was the street of artisans inside the Manifattura. In one building of the complex along the perimeter wall there was a series of “shops”.  Here you could find box makers who made the wooden boxes (with or without lids) in which cigarettes were once packed.

In the same area there were also knife sharpeners. One of their tasks was to keep the blades of the tobacco chopping machines sharp.

There were also metal workers, plumbers, carpenters, and boilermakers. All of them worked to keep the tobacco plant running efficiently, a big contribution to producing high quality products.