The town of Cuneo is not nearly as well known to tourists as other areas in the Province of Cuneo, which includes the Langhe (Barolo wine country) and the splendid Maira and Varaita mountain valleys. Its well-preserved historic center is however well worth an exploration, as there are at least two monuments that should not be overlooked. One is the synagogue, which dates back to the 1500s; the other is a plaque inscribed with one of the most powerful poems of the Italian Resistance.
Jews have resided in Cuneo at least since the early 15th century, when a group arrived from neighboring Provence. The diversity of Italian Jews reflects that of Italy in general, varying from one region to the next and even within single regions. Cuneo is now part of the Piedmont region, but for centuries it was ruled by a dynasty whose possessions straddled the Alps: the ultra-Catholic Savoy, who severely regulated Jewish life. As occurred elsewhere throughout the Italian peninsula, though, Jews were well-integrated into town life, more so than in many other European countries. Notwithstanding the relative poverty of Cuneo Jews with respect to other communities, they still managed to beautifully decorate the synagogue interior in the 18th century with a precious late Baroque holy ark, and after the liberation of the ghetto in 1848 they also embellished the exterior, adding a Hebrew inscription to the façade.
Even before WWII, many of Italy’s small rural Jewish communities had seen their population diminish with the emigration to the cities and the Americas. After the war, some found themselves with very few or no residents remaining. The Cavaglion family is the only Jewish family living in Cuneo today; they are doing the best they can to keep their traditions alive, having recently completed an extensive restoration of the synagogue. They are also in the process of opening a Jewish cultural center and museum, and they hope to hold more religious functions here during the year in the future. At present, the synagogue is only open for Yom Kippur services, but can be visited upon appointment – visitors can contact Davide Cavaglion at cavaglionsnc@libero.it.
Jews have lived in Italy for over 2200 years and their contribution to society – from the Roman republic to the medieval city states all the way to modern Italy – has been significant. One of the most interesting facets is their gastronomic contribution. A number of plates throughout the peninsula are thought to be of Jewish origin, the most famous of which being the Roman-Jewish artichoke, carciofo alla giudea. In Piedmont, a new dish is currently in the making, which might actually take the name of porcini alla giudea… 
Actually, grilled porcini mushroom caps are already part of Jewish tradition, at least in Cuneo, since they can be found in the surrounding hills and mountains. Recently, though, a local Jewish chef became determined to make a new dish modeled after the original poverty of Italian-Jewish cuisine (e.g. in Rome, the story goes that Jews were the first to use artichokes and fennel in their cuisine, since these were considered ‘weeds’ by less poverty-stricken Romans). Hence there may only be a hint of porcini involved in the end, since these were (and still are) considered the ‘Rothschild’ of mushrooms (i.e. not exactly everyday fare). Stay tuned for news on the upcoming development of this dish!!!
The Cuneo synagogue could be viewed as a monument to peaceful interrelations between people of two different faiths, extending over many centuries, and to the hard work that Jews of Cuneo had to do in order to maintain their community and synagogue notwithstanding the various restrictions in place. An effort that was certainly worth it, when one considers the number of upright citizens that arose from the community over time, how many of these had a positive role in Cuneo, in Piedmont and beyond. Such labor reflects the inner, spiritual work that one must undertake in order to become a better person, to be able to reach out to others and the outside world.
The fascist racial laws of 1938 were quite unexpected, as there had been no entrenched anti-Semitism in Italy as in other European countries. While these laws ruined Jews economically, also forcing them to form their own schools, it wasn’t until Italy was occupied by its former allies in September of 1943 that the situation irreparably deteriorated, as had already occurred in other Nazi-occupied countries. There were massacres throughout Northern Italy; the first camps were formed, one of which quite close to Cuneo at Borgo San Dalmazzo; the first trains to the death camps of Eastern Europe departed at the start of ’44. While some Italians assisted the Germans in their roundup of Jews, many others helped them to hide or escape to Switzerland. This solidarity was especially strong in Cuneo. The Italian resistance to incoming German/Italian fascist forces started to grow beginning in the fall of ’43, especially in hilly and mountainous areas. Cuneo in fact became one of the first centers of the Italian Resistance: the Maritime Alps – so splendid, with their endemic flora and Mediterranean light – becoming the scene of numerous partisan (= resistance) actions. Enzo Cavaglion (Davide’s father) joined the partisans, along with many other Jews in Piedmont, fighting side-by-side other Italians in their attempt to disrupt Nazi/Italian fascist activities.
Enzo is now 91, but has a vigor and light to his eyes of a man decades younger. He joined one of the first partisan groups on September 12, 1943, that of Cuneo intellectual Duccio Galimberti – one of the leaders of the Resistance until his capture, torture and death by the fascists at the end of ’44. Piero Calamandrei, one of the writers of the Italian Constitution, later dedicated a poem to Galimberti to commemorate the anniversary of his sacrifice, which can now be seen on a plaque in the Cuneo town hall. The poem was conceived in response to a statement by Albert Kesslring, leader of Germany’s occupation army in Italy from ‘43-’45 and responsible for many of the partisan and civilian massacres that took place here during that time: when released from prison in 1952, Kesselring declared that he was not sorry for anything he had done – that Italy should in fact build him a monument for having saved their country from destruction! (He did save many works of art and prevented the destruction of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence… but that does not make up for the thousands of deaths caused under occupation.) Italians were outraged, and Calamandrei responded with his Lapide ad ignominia, recently translated into English largely thanks to Andrea Gaddini (www.andreagaddini.it/lapide_en.html):
A Plaque for Ignominy
You will get it
kamerad Kesselring
the monument you demand of us Italians
but it’s our turn to decide
the stone it will be built with.
Not with the charred stones
of the defenseless villages racked by your slaughter
not with the ground of the cemeteries
where our young comrades
rest in serenity
not with the untouched snow of the mountains
which for two winters defied you
nor with the spring of these valleys
which saw you run away.
But just with the silence of the tortured
Harder than any stone
just with the rock of this pact
sworn amongst free men
who of their free will gathered
for dignity and not for hatred
determined to redeem
the shame and the terror of the world.
If you wish to return on these roads,
you will find us in our places
dead and alive with the same commitment
a people serried around the monument
that is called
now and forever
RESISTANCE
One monument, indicative of centuries of peaceful relations between people of different faiths – a symbol of hope for other areas of the world – and of the work required to achieve such peace (inner and outer); another monument, dedicated to the defeat of the arrogance and cruelty of a destructive occupying force. Certainly there are other sites to be seen in Cuneo, but these two contrasting yet related ‘monuments’ are the ones that most affected me in my travels.
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