On the trail of the wolf

The figure of the predator has been part of the human imagination for centuries. Through stories, historical accounts, archival documents and traditional legends, local communities have often described themselves and their identity precisely through the relationship they have forged with animals and the surrounding landscape. Against this backdrop, the wild creature becomes an emblematic reflection of society’s fears, hopes and latent contradictions, coming to embody, in turn, the unspoilt element, the looming danger, the desire for freedom and the mystery.

Set up inside the ethnographic section of Waldensian Museum, this exhibition offers an evocative journey through the daily lives of the Alpine communities between the end of the’Nineteenth century and the first few decades of the Twentieth century. The itinerary showcases original artefacts, historical records and texts edited by Davide Rosso and the illustrations by Manuela Rosso, capable of capturing the essence of a mountain world inextricably linked to nature.

The objects on display serve as a means of gaining a deeper understanding of material culture, work in the fields, domestic customs and the complex relationship with the environment of the the valleys of the Pinerolo area and the neighbour’s Queyras. The narrative highlights everyday life alongside domestic animals and wildlife, placing an emphasis on the historical sources of the Eighteenth century which document the difficult but inevitable coexistence of humans and large predators in the Alpine landscape.