Giuseppe Santovito Guido Michele
The heir of a family of truffle hunters
Michele Guido, born in Turin in 1967, is the heir of a family of truffle hunters. Already the great-grandfather practiced this activity at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Guido Michele indicates the best time for the collection of truffles according to tradition. This is in the first two weeks of November. He also emphasizes how the moon cycles are fundamental to the collection.
The family stories he tells bring to light the whole system of knowledge that is linked to the collection. The tale of the parent attacked by a large dog with six legs during the night collection is an example of how the experience of the supernatural is an integral part of the culture of the search.
Video table of contents
- Many generations
- An inherited passion
- November
- November, between Hallowing and Saint Martin
- The good season
- Moon phases
- My grandpa
- Trees
- Where the truffle grows on a tree
- Witches
- The places of the collection
- The feeling
- The dog
- Not a job
- Proverbs
- When the snow melt
- The stick
- In the rock of Canale
- My father
- In the night
- Passion and money
- Eating truffles
- Aphrodisiac
- Where the hail hits
- Plough, and the truffle will grow better
- Cutting the roots
- Where truffles grow
- The dialogue with the dead
Interview information
Country: IT
Region: Piemonte
City: Cisterna d'Asti
District: AT
Altitude: 350m s.l.m.
Guido Michele
Date of birth: 03-15-1967
Languages: Italiano
Document by: Luca Percivalle, Michele Fontefrancesco
Video by: Remo Schellino
Created: 02-01-2015
Questo video fa parte del seguente archivio
The white truffle
The white truffle
The archive investigates white truffles, known for their taste and frivolous aspects, but not for their cultural characteristics which plasmed generations of truffle hunters. The research presents a substrate of knowledge documented through dozens of interviews: historical and anthropological elements, rituals and myths on this prized fungus, still considered nowadays a nocturnal mystery. The project was promoted by the University of Gastronomic Sciences, l’Athe National Association “Città del Tartufo”, the national centre for truffle research and the Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo Foundation.
