GRUAPA DI KATRANI

Producing traditional katrami* (pine tar)

During Vovousa Festival 2021, an experimental small-scale reproduction of the traditional process for producing pine tar took place through the hands-on workshop ‘Gruapa di katrani’. The construction of conventional pine tar kilns is closely related to the forests and the management of natural resources, while depicting a forgotten craftsmanship which was distinctive for the Vlach villages of the Pindus Mountains, especially Distrato (Briaza) in the Konitsa region, where the last traditional pine tar producers, Ioannis and Paschalis Zisis, live.

*Katrami (or katrani; pine tar) is a thick, oily black liquid with a strong smoky odor produced by a special distillation process of dadi, which is the resinous part of old black pine trees, and has various applications, including the protection of wooden surfaces.

The workshop included the demonstration and practical application of all stages of the process: from the selection and preparation of pine sticks alongside local forest workers and loggers, to the kiln’s construction and its incomplete burning for the final product’s distillation. During the workshop, 14 students and young professionals attended the process and participated in the production.

Furthermore, a series of open talks and lectures was held in parallel with the workshop, on topics such as: the use of timber in architecture, its traditional and modern methods of protection, the applications of traditional pine tar, the ecogeography, and the cultural identities of the inhabitants in the Aoos river area.

The workshop ‘Gruapa di katrani’ aimed to document and promote the traditional craft of pine tar production, as well as to initiate a dialogue on the modern value of preserving traditional crafts as part of the cultural heritage of a place.

Info

Location

Vovousa, Zagori, Epirus

Date

16/07/2021 - 18/07/2021

Status:

All, Completed

Pillars:

Education, Public dialogue, Research

Tags:

Mountain, Pine Tar, Wood

Co-organisers

Vovousa Festival

Aegis

Ministry of Culture and Sports

Supporters

Ministry of Culture and Sports

Collaborators

Giannis Zisis, Paschalis Zisis, Kostas Paganias, Thanasis Paganias, Christos Vrasanis, Alekos Drougias, Ole Jørgen Schreiner

Lecturers

Vasilis Nitsiakos, Eleftheria Tsakanika, Kostas Paganias, Charalabos Lykidis

Photography

Video

Argiris Karagiorgas, Christina Paraskeuopoulou

Related Resources

Traditional Technology of Pine Tar in Epirus (Greece) A Craft Between Heritage and Modernity

Publication

This study examines the traditional technology of pine tar kilns in Greece, focusing on the case of Distrato in Epirus, where the last traditional artisans reside. Pine tar (katrami) is a viscous liquid produced by the destructive distillation of resinous wood, primarily from pine trees. This practice has a long history globally and in the Mediterranean, with applications in medicine, cosmetics, fuels, and waterproofing for construction and shipbuilding.

Authors: Christos Theocharis, Ioanna Doutsis, Panos Kostoulas, Grigoris Koutropoulos

The file is available in French.

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