In my chest of drawers, among my winter things, I still keep two socks whose wool is as white as a little lamb. I do not use them, but once they are in my hands, I can feel their soft rawness and even perceive a warm and homely light: it is the same light that strokes the flock while they are resting.The socks, similar to soft nests, were made by a woman from Albaredo one afternoon while her sheep were grazing.
She is one of the women you can see knitting in the pictures in this book. Giampiero Mazzoni dedicates this collection of photographs to the mountain woman. It is just like a gentle song, a persistent litany, where the "mountain woman" is referred to in different ways, even though the sound and essence are the same: hard-working woman, woman of solitude, prayer, poverty and sacrifice.The woman of the hamlet which clings to the steep side of the Bitto valley and the ancient "Via Priulia", is not so different from the woman who centuries ago could see men and mules, pilgrims and merchants passing by on their way up to the San Marco pass to go about their business in the area between Venice and the Swiss Grisons.
The woman of the valleys that Mazzoni has photographed so carefully, affectionately and discreetely is different from the women of today whom we may find in a modern home, an office, a school, a factory or a shop, in that the former is soberly dressed like a nun; she wears woollen stockings, an apron, a long warm skirt, clogs (nowadays replaced by common rubber boots), a kerchief tied round her hair and a shawl wrapped round her breast.She gets up early, fetches the firewood, lights a fire, makes the cheese, warms the milk up, spins the wool and the hemp; furthermore, she makes socks, knits sweaters and hemp-blankets, weaves rag rugs, takes care of her animals (sheep, goats, hens, cows), witnesses the killing of a pig. She does not eat much; she digs the field like a bird scratching the hard soil with its claws; she also sows potatoes, prunes and binds vines. She is always on the go, she always has something to do, she walks alone or with a child or an animal beside her, along those mule tracks that cut across steep meadows or penetrate deep woods. She is not afraid of silence or of nightfall.
On her shoulders there is a pannier full of hay or leaves to make bedding for the stable; her pannier is also heavy with wood or with the manure she spreads over the meadows with her own hands. In her fingers she holds knitting-needles or rosary beads. It is difficult to imagine this woman resting or relaxing or enjoying a cosy moment at home.
 She is as quiet as her animals. Her language is made up of a few, basic words in the local dialect. Her way of speaking takes shape in the black and white pictures, in the full-length portraits or long shots which show the woman moving around in the open.
These photographs sometimes portray a family in the home chatting around a cauldron where the milk is curdling: in such a limited space, the man is a shadowy figure, while the woman stands out against a soft back lighting.
Giampiero Mazzoni has gathered information about the mountain woman’s daily life among her things: the stables, the kitchen, the open space in front of her house where she shells chestnuts. He has chosen a good light, without exaggerating the tones of the black and white and avoiding cutting excessive contrasts. In this subtle light, the woman becomes the protagonist of the photo.
Without emphasis, through the tranquil luminosity of shades of grey, the author tells the story of these women who, at the onset of the 21^st century, carry on the activities of their mothers and grandmothers. But some elements turn out to be quite out of place: the plastic bags, the rubber boots and the denim skirts are a tangible sign of our times, which are also responsible for the pollution of the pastures where it is natural, e.g., to stuff a mattress using leaves of Indian corn or of beech carried up specially from the village
Giampiero Mazzoni is sympathetic to this type of woman; he is able to grasp her strength and resignation, and age-old lullabies.
She is seen in various situations: when her shoulders are covered with the bright light of the meadows, when she is photographed amidst the luminosity of the valley, when, against the light, the fine dust of the chestnuts being tossed in the riddle is turned into a sparkling halo all around her weary face; when the photographer captures her in front of a shadowy votive chapel, or soothes her fatigue as she ties up some scattered branches.Through his pictures,
Giampiero Mazzoni tells the story of a modest woman bound up in her daily duty, accustomed to hardship and sacrifice and able to take care of her home by herself.
All this is conveyed without spectacular effects or violating nature in any way. In approaching her, the photographer points out the woman’s strength and pride, and sometimes her fragility in front of nature.
He follows her all day long, fully aware that this is his last opportunity. The new mountain woman resembles the woman from Milan.

This exhibition presents a series of photographs related to the work of women in the valleys of Valtellina and Valchiavenna in Italy.Underlining, enhancing and honoring the feminine character, these photographs emphasize the importance of women they save the local culture and the traditional activities and maintain the environment and territory.The pictures show how women of these mountains have been able to survive in a very difficult environment, always keeping a strict relationship with nature, utilizing its resources, and at the same time taking care of the territory.
These rural areas, far away from the large urban centers, witness an affirmation of a female culture and society.
Due to emigration, war and jobs far from home, men were often absent and women had to take care of themselves. The pictures show how still today many of the duties are taken over by women. In the valleys and villages where women still reside, mountain culture and agriculture continues to thrive. Women are showing great entrepreneur and business abilities, and this brings new ideas and production into the mountain micro-economy. Is the future of the Alps in women’s hands?
Without women, the traditions, typical products, and culture of this Alpine region may not have a future.
How long will women keep treading up and down the paths with baskets on their shoulders? How long will they milk the cows on the mountain pastures, make dairy products at home? How long will the elderly women weave or work the aspo, or arcolaio.
This show is an exposition of the life in our mountains, exploring environments and moments of normal life during which antique activities and gestures repeat themselves over and over.
The existence of these women and their traditional activities demonstrates that it is possible to work in and simultaneously protect and take care of the environment. Women have been able for centuries to keep this delicate balance between economy and nature without destroying their resources.

Chapters in the exhibition

The exhibition develops through 10 themes:

1) Working in the fields
2) Harvesting hay
3) Dairy production
4) Processing chestnuts
5) Weaving
6) Transportation
7) Animals
8) Tools
9) Family
10) Religion

1. Working in the fields

The land, the animals, and milk: it’ s around these three resources that women still use their ancient memory to process and produce their livelihood.
Working the land needs special skills and abilities. The pictures underline how women were and still are essential to working the land.
Some of the pictures show women transporting manure in baskets on their backs and distributing it with their hands in the fields, which shows the intimate interaction between them and the land. One activity that continues to be significant in rural life is gathering leaves to lay on the stable floor which also clears debris from the forest.

2. Harvesting hay

Working in this steep, mountainous region is backbreaking. Even with the help of machinery, women still face the challenge of working in aggressive conditions. Some pictures portray women harvesting the hay and transporting it in baskets to the barn. These baskets can be quite heavy and prove difficult for women, but it is necessary to provide feed for the animals in winter. During the harvest, women must work outside in the fields for hours, dependent on weather conditions.

3. Dairy Production

Processing dairy consists of varying stages: it must be precise and accurate. Women of this region have developed advanced skills in dairy production and are indispensable to its success. Some of the photographs present different moments of processing the milk and one can see the different tools they use to produce this natural product. Aluminum buckets are used exclusively because the milk moves less in this type of metal and thus does not lose its organic make-up.

4. Processing chestnuts

Chestnuts have always been an important food source for the people of this region. Processing these nuts takes time, ending with the drying stage. Women are once again the important element of this process, as shown in the varying stages of development in the photographs, such as choosing and cleaning the chestnuts.

5. Weaving

Weaving is one of the oldest activities in the Alps. These photographs show young girls in one of the valleys reviving the old skill of weaving rough rugs. This activity, almost extinct, is now again restoring another important role to women and an important part of the mountain culture. They are also experimenting with hemp weaving. In these photographs, we see the young women using ancient tools to weave this hemp.

6. Transportation

In this steep territory, distances can be long and the weight of burdens can be heavy. The photographs show women transporting various agricultural and daily necessities: manure, wood for the hearth at home, hay, leaves from the forest floor, buckets from milking, backpacks of groceries. We can see the determination necessary to accomplish, with uncommon physical strength, the transportation of these necessities, a strength comparable to that of a man.

7. Animals

The women of this Alpine region have great skill in taking care of their animals. Cleaning, rescuing, milking, feeding, and breeding the animals are a few of the many tasks these women accomplish with confidence. Such a close dependency on animals means that the women take as much care of their livestock as they would another human being. In one photograph we see a pig being slaughtered. The woman who took care of this pig since its infancy is also present when the animal is being slaughtered.

8. Tools

Images of this section show different shots of Alpine life, some inside living quarters showing everyday objects.
Viewing these tools in this intimate setting, we can imagine the women, men and children indicated behind them, all the hands and minds that put them to use. Photographs of outdoor settings in the village, scenes uninhabited by the villagers, evoke a feeling of solitude and what these places might become without the people who bring them to life.

9. Family

Besides all the many agricultural tasks the women do on a daily basis, they also must take care of the family and children. These photographs show women caring for children, preparing meals and cleaning the house. This is more than an eight hour work day.

10. Religion

Life in the mountains has always been structured and influenced by religion: as a village, as a family, and as an individual. Every village has its own church, bell tower, saint, graveyard, songs, and traditions. We can see this inheritance through the rituals and public events, showing that religion has deep roots in the local culture, maintaining its strength through the dedication of the village people.