Federico Aimar
Alpeggio | Having finished my studies as well as my living in the city, I felt like I needed to go back to my roots. So I decided to spend two weeks in Alpeggio, becoming a companion for work and life to a family who, every summer, moved to the mountains with their herd. Life goes slowly up at the Black House, the days start early and there's no lack of work: feeding the livestock, cleaning the stables, milking the cows, preparing the cheese; everything being done by hand. Electricity is a luxury and, in order to save on money, artificial illumination is scarce. It's been incredible discovering how deep darkness can be. Here the sky seems a lot closer and with it all of its moods; during fierce storms the stables transform themselves into hot and odorous refuges.
During sunny days the vast meadows transform into idyllic beaches in front of a sky that seems like a sea. I was taught how intimate a friendship between animals and humans could be, how beautiful it is, at the end of a long day, to find yourself at a table banqueting with the fruits of your own labor and your dear ones with whom, obviously, you don't mince words, as sincerity is most appreciated. In the end I've become aware that simplicity can be something incredibly laborious yet just as fulfilling. www.federicoaimar.com
