Documentary Photography – Handling Pigs In Italy

These pictures are part of a long term project that document the actual conditions of farming activity in the Northeast of Italy.

In 2012,  I wrote my Master thesis in pre-protohistorical archaeology, about the earliest human occupation of Padua’s countryside. That is why I started this photographic research aimed to document the existing settlers within the same environment.
This reportage describes one bloody, but worthy story I have learnt along my path. The main actor is of course a dying pig, but the focus is also on the hands that take care of it, on death as well as during life.
It is rare to find people that love nature as much as farmers.
They feel and care very much for their animals, aware that their untimely death will always provide them with fresh and fine food for the entire year. They will honour the sacrifice of their beloved animal with the happiness and the health that will follow the meal. Besides, every last part of the pork will be used.
All the other farm animals are less important than the pig.