La riscoperta dell’Industrial Heritage nella Bassa Valle d’Aosta. Le fonti d’archivio tra promozione turistica e ricerca di un’identità particolare

The industrialisation of the Aosta Valley, initiated by the proto-industrial metallurgical and mining sector in the 18th century and consolidated by the “hydroelectric revolution” of the early 20th century, profoundly reshaped the landscape, demography, and socio-economic dynamics of the Lower Valley, particularly through the large-scale employment of foreign labour. This paper argues that primary sources are crucial not only for reconstructing this process but also for reinterpreting its legacy. On one hand, they allow the identification, recovery, and valorisation of the regional industrial heritage, opening new avenues for cultural tourism. On the other, they provide the basis for analysing how industrialisation contributed to forging a distinctive territorial identity, whose features remain relevant today. The analysis of archival and bibliographic sources allows not only the development of new forms of tourist storytelling based on the promotion of industrial artefacts, such as machines, buildings, and infrastructure, but also the study of the social consequences of industrialisation, contributing to a fuller understanding of the Lower Valley’s unique identity.