Parco Naturale del Gran Bosco di Salbertrand

A journey back in time to discover the alchemy of coal

A publication dedicated to charcoal kilns that would like to be a contribution to the rediscovery and memory of a form of material culture widespread in the past all over the Alps and the Apennines and that today seems to be almost entirely abandoned.
The Cahier no. 14 of Colombano Romean Ecomuseum collects the results of years of researches that led the author to discover the secrets of an ancient profession, revealed by the protagonists themselves: two coalmen from Val Lemina (Pinerolo - TO) that had abandoned the activity a dozen years ago and still perfectly knew everything about the world of charcoal kilns and coalmen. In the various chapters, the stages for the preparation and distillation of a charcoal kiln are described and completed by dozens of color images.

• Series: I Quaderni dell'Ecomuseo Colombano Romean - N° 14
• Author/s: Piergiorgio Manavella
• Publisher: Ecomuseo Colombano Romean
• Pages: 76
• Size: 16x23.5cm
• Year: 2011
• Price: 5.00 €