“The man from Val Rosna. A story from 14,000 years ago”

On Thursday, April 29, 2025, at 8:30 PM, the book “The Man of Val Rosna. A Story from 14,000 Years Ago” by Aldo and Chiara Villabruna, with illustrations by Marisa Vezzoli, Edizioni DBS, will be presented at the Libreria Quattro Sass in Rasai di Seren del Grappa.

In 1987, Aldo Villabruna discovered a burial site containing human bone remains and an arrowhead dating back to the last phase of the Paleozoic period, precisely 14,000 years ago, in a construction site in the municipality of Sovramonte. Since then, the Hunter or Man of Val Rosna has provided and continues to provide invaluable information about the early inhabitants of the western Alps: it is one of the oldest burials in the Alpine region but also an extraordinary example of Paleolithic funerary art, as well as the first case of dental intervention in history!

The book is aimed at young readers, but is rich in specific information that will surely interest adults as well, and is divided into two parts. The first, narrative in nature, tells the story of a group of nomadic hunters and gatherers who, following the migrations of animals, travel from the plains to the foot of the Alps. Chiara Villabruna, with a gripping narrative full of details, presents an engaging and passionate story that immerses both adults and children in the lifestyle of those who inhabited that shelter in the valley between the Rosna and Cismon streams. In the second part, of a more divulgative nature, Aldo Villabruna accurately presents, with the support of numerous images, the artifacts found in the burial and their functions, adding an irresistible educational value to the book. Enriching the story are the delicate and evocative illustrations by Marisa Viezzoli.

The book, the latest release from Edizioni DBS, represents another piece in the publisher’s mission: to gather, preserve, and disseminate the history and vast cultural heritage of the territory, especially to young people, in order to prevent its dispersion. A story, like that of the Man of Val Rosna, which continues to surprise and move us even after 14,000 years.