Life

Due to the lack of sunlight in narrow stone alleys, cold stone walls, and pervasive dampness, Dalmatia became known as a homeland of rheumatics. Bedrooms were rarely heated, so people would warm the bed itself. A škandalet was a simple warming device, its name derived from the Italian scaldaletto. A škandalet consisted of a copper pan with a long wooden handle, filled with embers, which was passed over the sheets just before sleep. Today, the few surviving examples are decorative curiosities – their original purpose unknown to younger generations.