Abstract
The paper focuses on contemporary attempts to revive/reinvent the abandoned tradition of chestnuts growing in Natisone Valleys (North-East Italy). In the past, chestnuts were a conspicuous additional source of food and one of the few sources of income for the mountain inhabitants, as well as a product that was widely exchanged for other goods in lowland areas. Due to its importance for the local economy, inhabitants had considerable skills related to the thirteen chestnut varieties present there – the ability to differentiate between them as well as knowledge of growing, inoculating and usages of different sorts (such as cooking, conserving, drying, producing flour). These skills became neglected and forgotten as a consequence of the industrialization of the lowlands and the subsequent abandonment of agriculture in the second half of the twentieth century. Nowadays, in the context of the endeavor to revive the depopulated valleys, predominantly younger generations are trying to reinterpret the chestnut growing culture from the past as an essential activity for sustainable development in the future. In the paper, I discuss some of the pursuits that I observed during my eight months long fieldwork in Natisone Valleys – mainly consisting of semi-structured interviews and participant observation – as well as limitations, disagreements, doubts, and obstacles accompanying above mentioned attempts in creating sustainable prospects in the contemporary world.
Presenters
Tina IvnikStudent, PhD Student, University of Ljubljana, Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, Slovenia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Traditions, Reinvention, Chestnuts, Sustainable Development, Species variety, Anthropology, Italy
