Piedmont's truffles in 1776 and 250 years later – Linked to pleasure and not nutrition, the "fragrant fruit" defies time

The oldest available image of a truffle hunter assisted by his dog dates back to 1776. It was published by Turin professor Giovanni Bernardo Vigo, author of a valuable and fascinating work on the world of these ever-popular underground fungi. 250 years later, a qualified group of experts has restudied and re-presented Vigo's Latin poem, to disseminate it and compare it with today's knowledge. This work has been published in the volume "The Piedmont of Truffles in 1776 and 250 Years Later." Sponsored by the Giulio Parusso Cultural Association, the presentation of the volume, published by Araba Fenice, will take place on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 6:00 PM, in the conference room of Palazzo Banca d'Alba, on Via Cavour in Alba. Admission is free. Actor Paolo Tibaldi will contribute with a reading of an excerpt from the 18th-century tale. The book illustrates classic truffle-related themes: banquets, trees, the land, and dog training tips: "Your dog may follow you or precede you, at your own pace, equally gripped by your desire to search..." Contributions from some of the book's chapter authors—with conclusions by Antonio Degiacomi, President of the National Truffle Studies Center; Igor Boni of the IPLA, Institute for Woody Plants and the Environment; and Pier Paolo Mussa, former professor at the University of Turin. The new book contains contributions by: Paola Bianchi, Paola Bonfante, Igor Boni, Antonio Degiacomi, Piercarlo Grimaldi, Pier Paolo Mussa, Luigi Odello, Rengenier C. Rittersma, and Giovanna Ruo Berchera. Translated by Maria Cristina Bogliolo. The book will be available during the presentation and at bookstores in Alba. Its publication was supported by the Banca d'Alba Foundation.