Presentation of the book on the 1776 Piedmontese truffle in Alba
Date of the event:
On 13 November 2026, at 6pm, in the conference hall of Palazzo Banca d'Alba, the book «Il Piemonte dei tartufi nel 1776 e 250 anni dopo» (Piedmont's truffles in 1776 and 250 years later) is presented, published by Araba Fenice and promoted by the Associazione Culturale Giulio Parusso. The book traces the history of the Piedmontese truffle starting from a 1776 work and compares it with present-day knowledge and practices.[1]
The book
The book stems from the rediscovery of a 1776 text by the Turin professor Giovanni Bernardo Vigo, considered one of the oldest writings dedicated to the world of truffles. That volume contained what is regarded as the oldest known image of a trifulao (truffle hunter) accompanied by his dog while searching for truffles.[1]
A group of scholars and experts revisited and expanded on the eighteenth-century work, comparing the knowledge of the time with contemporary understanding. The book covers topics such as truffle hunting, dog training, the relationship with the land, the features of the natural environments involved, and the product's gastronomic value.[1]
The presentation
The evening features some of the authors of the essays collected in the book, drawn from the worlds of research, culture and truffle-related outreach. Closing remarks are given by Antonio Degiacomi, president of the Centro Nazionale Studi Tartufo, Igor Boni of IPLA, and Pier Paolo Mussa, a former lecturer at the University of Turin. The actor Paolo Tibaldi reads passages from the eighteenth-century text.[1]
Admission to the presentation is free and the book is available for purchase during the evening and afterwards in Alba's bookshops. The publication was produced with the support of the Fondazione Banca d'Alba.[1]
Sources
- IdeaWebTv — 2 November 2026