La communauté patrimoniale vaudoise, entre phénomènes de vivacité culturelle et dépeuplement

Piedmonts’ valleys of Chisone, Pellice and Germanasca (TO) are known as the Waldensian Valleys, due to the presence of this Christian minority in the area. The forced settling of the Waldenses in these territories (XVI-XIX centuries) has historically allowed – and still allows today – to read the area’s landscape and cultural heritage symbolically. At least since the end of the XIX century, this aspect has led to conservation policies aimed at safeguarding this community’s identity, largely implemented by Waldensian cultural institutions. This contribution intends to shed light on some characteristic aspects of the Waldensian community which influence the conservation of cultural heritage. These elements constitute the foundation of a sharing framework between safeguard organizations and citizen, which often become a veritable “heritage community”, in which conservation is not seen as just a per-need action or approach but becomes part of everyday life.