Civiltà Alpina e Presenza Protestante nelle Valli Pinerolesi

The mountaineers of the Waldensian Valleys have for centuries been considered "different" people, barbèt, people from whom it was better to stay away. The high hierarchies of the Catholic Church and the power of the Savoy contributed to keeping them marginalized and relegated to their valleys; but also the ignorance of the people and the false information that was subtly circulated. For about 150 years the Waldensians have been reinstated with full civic rights and today their religion is also recognized by the Italian State with equal dignity to the others. But they still constitute a minority in the Occitan-speaking minority. To overcome many prejudices that remain to separate the two worlds, the Catholic and the Waldensian, it is necessary to know the theological and behavioral differences of the two cultures, so closely in contact in the Pinerolo mountain area. This is what this work aims to do, analyzing with the contribution of six experts the foundations of Waldensian belief and society. The topics considered are religion, school education, language, the temple as a place of worship and social gathering, the way of living, dressing and celebrating. From the historical investigation emerges a typically Alpine civilization, made up of great coherence, of integrity to the test, of mutual help, of very high spiritual richness despite the shortage of material goods. A global model of life that is difficult to propose today, but for this reason no less fascinating.