Rosalia Vacca and the Dream of… Federico Guglielmetti
Between technology and tradition: serving the Cavour Canal
Federico Guglielmetti, born in Biella in 1988, began his education in computer science and engineering, but soon chose to dedicate himself to the world of irrigation. After working for various irrigation agencies, he is now responsible for maintenance of the Cavour Canal for the Est Sesia Irrigation Association. His career began at the grassroots level, with manual maintenance work, an experience he considers essential for his current role.
His role is twofold: on the one hand, preserving historic 19th-century structures, and on the other, adapting them to the modern needs of agriculture and hydroelectric production. Guglielmetti coordinates routine maintenance (grass cutting, cleaning, and structural inspections) and collaborates with technicians and offices on more complex projects.
His work requires constant attention to nature: observing rivers, the weather, and the landscape is an integral part of a profession that has almost become a way of life. His role as manager hasn't distanced him from direct contact with the canal, which he believes remains irreplaceable even in a highly technological environment.
Collaboration between colleagues is crucial: every section of the water network is interconnected, and only through constant communication can unforeseen situations like storms or floods be addressed. Technology has improved monitoring, but direct on-site control is still essential to avoid errors in such a delicate and complex system.
Guglielmetti concludes by stating that this work, in addition to requiring technical expertise, is driven by passion, responsibility, and a spirit of service to the local area.
Video table of contents
- From Est Sesia to Coutenza Canale Cavour and back to Est Sesia
- My father's example, serving the channel, the apprenticeship
- Caring for historical artifacts means preserving history but also updating them for contemporary uses
- The maintenance manager
- The sense of water gradually enters with contact with the river, the canal
- Collaborating with colleagues is essential, channels are a network
- How technology has changed our work
Interview information
Country: IT
Region: Piemonte
City: Formigliana
Federico Guglielmetti
Date of birth: 10-21-1988
City: Biella
School: University
Profession: Other
Languages: italiano
Document by: Luca Ghiardo
Video by: Luca Ghiardo, Davide Porporato
Created: 04-04-2025
Questo video fa parte del seguente archivio
Rice stories
Rice stories
Food is a fundamental resource for man and his health, both through the supply of nutrients and the ability to embody traits of human culture that play a leading role in our well-being.
Over time, each territory has built original ways in which to relate to the fruits of its land, enriching them with rituals, symbolic meanings and culinary customs. Much of these relationships have been lost following the years of the economic boom, with the exodus from the countryside to urban centers, with the advent of agriculture for mass production and ultimately with the globalization of markets and the consequent impoverishment of the heritage of biodiversity and ethnodiversity.
The purpose of this archive is to collect evidence relating to the main rice production area in Europe, that is the Po Valley, and to investigate, through the analysis of textual sources and testimonies collected in the field, both what survives of this heritage, and the ways in which which has evolved and reached us, paying particular attention to the explicit and implicit links that bind food and health.
