Grateful For the Dead Tour – 2014

Day 1 / Thursday, September4th

Arrival – Milan to Torre Pellice

We flew into Milan in the morning, loaded up the vans and drove approximately 4 hours to Torre Pellice.

We arrived at the Foresteria Valdese in the early afternoon (Via Arnaud 34 10066, Torre Pellice (TO) – Tel +39 0121 91801, GPS: N 44˚ 49.265′ E 007˚ 13.230′). This bed and breakfast is very old, there were no: elevators to the basement or the upper level, some televisions, no microwaves, etc. However, it is a beautiful, charming facility set in the Piedmont Valley. The Torre Pellice photo is down the street from the Foresteria across from the Catholic Church near Piazza S. Martino. At the Foresteria, the street is called Via Arnaud, to the west it changes into Via Beckwith where it goes past Casa Valdese and the Waldensian Cultural Center. To the east it becomes Via della Repubblica where it passes the old hotel Dell’Orso then veers right into Piazza S. Martino. A good portion of Via Arnaud and Via della Repubblica are pedestrian only, cars are not allowed.

Antique Hotel – Now converted to apartments.
Shown is the 1st floor above the ground floor, possible location where Lorenzo Snow stayed.

In Piazza della Libertá (Liberty Plaza) we saw the old hotel (antico albergo) where Lorenzo Snow may have stayed while serving a mission to the Waldensian people. It is located on the corner of Via Roma and Via Della Repubblica. A plaque is mounted there that mentions Edmondo De Amicis. It says he worked on and wrote pages of his book "Alle Porte d’Italia" while staying at this antique hotel. A few doors down from the corner of the old hotel is the newer Albergo Dell’Orso (Hotel of the Bear) with a few rooms and a restaurant called La Crota dell’Ours (the cellar of the bear) and it is said that it takes its name from the original hotel. It is located at Via Della Repubblica 6. It gets good reviews for its food from www.tripadvisor.it. Other publications refer to the old hotel as Pension de l’Ours. On the opposite corner is the Claudiana bookstore, a very good resource for information about the area.

While standing in this plaza, we talked about the story of the sick little boy and discussed the sacrifice of Apostle Snow in relation to the boys miraculous recovery. The following is extracted from the private journal of Lorenzo Snow:

Sept. 6th (1850) This morning my attention was directed to Joseph Guy, a boy three years of age, the youngest child of our host. Many friends had been to see the child, as to all human appearance his end was nigh at hand. I went to see him in the afternoon, death was making havoc on his body — his former healthy frame was now reduced to a skeleton, and it was only by close observation we could discern he was alive. As I reflected on our situation, and beheld this effort of the Prince of Darkness, to raise a barrier against us, and the establishment of the Gospel, my mind was fully awakened to a sense of our position. For some hours before I retired to rest, I called upon the Lord to assist us at this time. My feelings on this occasion will not easily be erased from memory.
Sept. 7th. This morning I proposed to Elder Stenhouse we should fast and retire to the mountains and pray. As we departed we called and saw the child — his eye-balls turned upwards; his eye-lids fell and closed; his face and ears were thin, and wore the pale marble hue indicative of approaching dissolution. The cold perspiration of death covered his body, and the principle of life was nearly exhausted. Madame Guy and other females were sobbing, while, Monsieur Guy hung his head, and whispered to us “Il meurt! Il meurt! — (He dies! He dies!)
After a little rest upon the mountains, aside from any likelihood of interruption, we there called upon the Lord in solemn prayer to spare the life of the child. As I reflected on the course we wished to pursue — the claims we should soon advance to the world, I regarded this circumstance as one of vast importance. I know not of any sacrifice which I could possibly make, that I was not willing to offer, that the Lord might grant our requests.
We returned about three o’clock in the afternoon, and having consecrated some oil, I anointed my hand, and laid it upon his head, while we silently offered up the desires of our hearts for his restoration. A few hours afterwards we called, and his father with a smile of thankfulness said “mieux, beaucoup, beacoup.” — (better, much, much.)
Sept. 8th. The child had been so well during the preceding night, the parents had been enabled to betake themselves to rest, which they had not done for some time before, and to-day they could leave him and attend to the business of the house. As I called to see him, Madame Guy expressed her joy in his restoration; I, in turn remarked — “Il Dio di cielo ha fatto questa per voi.” — (The God of heaven has done this for you.)

In a letter to President Brigham Young, Lorenzo Snow recounted the organizational meeting held shortly after the incident with the little boy. The letter is dated November 1st of 1850. In addition to the extracts from his private journal above he also relates the following either on or the day following Sept. 18th:

It was well-known that we had come to establish a church. This was looked upon by many as an impossibility. But, we now found that we had the materials marvelously assembled from four different nations, viz., ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, ITALY, and AMERICA. With one member from each of these countries we proceeded to organize the church. We ascended a very high mountain a little distance from La Tour, and having taken our positions on a bold projecting rock, we sung praises to the God of heaven, and offered up the following prayer: —
The prayer can be read in “The Italian Mission, by Lorenzo Snow, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints”, printed in London by W. Aubrey, Brandon Street, Walworth 1851.

After the praying, worshiping, prophesying, and singing, Elder Snow proposed:

“that this mountain be known among the people of God, henceforth and for ever, as MOUNT BRIGHAM, and the rock upon which we stood, the ROCK of PROPHECY”.

He goes on to write in the letter:

“We descended the mount, and reached La Tour about six o’clock in the evening. As a sign to all who might visit us, we nailed to the wall of my chamber the likenesses of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. From that day opportunities began to occur for proclaiming our message.”

Elder Snow’s wife of six years, Charlotte Squires, passed away incidentally, within the month of Joseph Guy’s recovery, making the quote in his letter to Brigham Young even more poignant (“I know not of any sacrifice which I could possibly make, that I was not willing to offer, that the Lord might grant our requests.”) Also of note is the passing of his baby daughter Amanda Eleanor Snow on the 21st of October, 1850, the month after Joseph’s recovery. The baby Amanda was 6 months old.

While standing on the hotel’s corner and looking down Via Roma, we saw opposite the hotel a sign post pointing to Pinerolo, the street name being Jenny Cardon. Said street turns into Viale XXV Aprile (Avenue 25 April). Jenny Cardon was a partisan who lost her life in the Rio Gros region just before the allies liberated that part of Italy at the end of World War II. It was proposed she be given the Bronze Medal for Military Valor. She was born in Torre Pellice March 11, 1917 and died April 23, 1945. From what I can decipher she was delivering orders to a position held by the partisans when she was surprised by the fleeing enemy and murdered. Four days later on the 27th Torre Pellice and the Val Pellice were liberated.

**Checking out Casa Valdese**, 2 Via Beckwith
N 44.820543, E 7.219191

Historical Notes extracted from the story board in front of the building.

2014 Photo of Paschetto Fresco – roots can’t be seen because of the projection screen

The motto **“Lux lucet in tenebris”** can’t be seen in this 2014 photo due to the projection screen.
It was mentioned that the seven stars represent the seven original churches of the New Testament.

The bible on the tree is opened to a fragment of Revelations: 2:10 “Sii Fe Dele Fino Alla Morte” (be thou faithful unto death). This was a rallying cry at the time of the resistance prior to the glorious return.