Alle porte d'Italia

In a richly detailed letter from 1675, a resident of Pinerolo shares his love for the town’s dramatic Alpine backdrop and its uncanny parallels with the holy sites of Jerusalem. He paints the city as a jewel perched between two valleys, its rooftops offering a living map of Savoy’s military history. Yet the charm is quickly shadowed by the heavy hand of French occupation, a regime that fills the streets with soldiers, checkpoints, and endless suspicion.

Through the narrator’s eyes, everyday life becomes a delicate dance of loyalty and fear. He describes curfews, constant surveillance, and the ever‑present threat of accusation, while still finding moments of peace in the fresh mountain air. The letter sets the stage for a story of personal resilience, secret correspondence, and the simmering unrest that may soon push the townspeople toward open defiance.