Andreu Florido is one of the last artisans to dedicate himself professionally to the production of 'besulles', a tool of the pastoral world that is practically in danger of extinction. It was used to drink water from springs and ravines or to heat soups or milk in the cabins. Florido is a resident of Ginestarre, in the municipality of Esterri de Cardós (Pallars Sobirà), and learned the trade as a child while accompanying the village shepherds with their cattle.
The 'besulles' are made of birch bark and to make them, despite the fact that it seems simple, it is necessary to know the tree well in order to pop the skin at the right moment. The freshly removed bark is folded into a container and pierced with a branch to hold it.
Despite the fact that there are still some shepherds who know how to build 'besulles', because they already did it when they were young while accompanying the cattle up the mountain, Andreu Florido is one of the few who does it with a craftsman's card. He makes several wooden objects, but of all the products he makes, the one that stands out the most is the 'besulla'.
Florido makes this type of saucepan with ancestral techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. This Ginestarre artisan emphasizes that only natural elements are used and that he has not incorporated any modern elements. The function of this object remains the same as always: a glass to drink from the fountains.
The dry bark catches fire easily, but if the 'besulla' is left to soak for a while it allows you to heat milk or soups on the fire without burning it, explains the artisan. The annual cycle of birch trees is the only one that marks the time when they can be built. Florido has explained that from the month of May to July it is customary to be able to remove the bark well.
The 'besulla' can be found in the Ecomuseu de les Valls d'Aneu (Esterri d'Àneu), a space that for years has carried out the recovery of objects of daily life that disappeared during the decade of the 50s and 60s the last century. Among them there are articles of clay, wood, basketry and textiles.
From the Ecomuseu, through the creation of the 'Patrimoni del Pirineu' brand, it is decided to support artisans, their quality productions and the recovery of old productions. As far as the madrea is concerned, kitchen utensils such as ladles and spoons have been made to collect the oil from paellas or chestnuts, which in the last century could be found in many homes in the Pirineu. In addition, salt cellars and 'bersulles' made with wood have been recovered.
