As 81-year-old Valdese vintner Joel Dalmas says, "Valdese is different."

Indeed it is different from other areas in North Carolina. Driving down the streets—-many named after villages in northwestern Italy—-the difference is evident in the masonry of the homes, gray stone piled upon gray stone as done in the old country. Some have outdoor hangings—an Italian flag or map of Italy. The city logo--an Italian flag with the Waldensian seal in the middle—can be seen as the front license plate on many cars. Bocce courts are filled with seasoned players. And people speak French or Patois, a French-Italian dialect of the now dead Provencal language spoken by the city’s first settlers in 1893.

Though founded that year, Valdese’s history dates back to the 12^th century and a wealthy merchant in Lyons, France, named Peter Waldo (or Valdes), who gave up his riches to preach the Bible. The Poor of Lyons, as his followers were called, became a group known as the Waldensians, who lived in the Cottian Alps in Italy, bordering France. Through the centuries, the Roman Catholic Church declared the Waldensians heretics because they preached the Bible—only priests were allowed to do so—and because they allowed individual interpretation of the Bible. The group lived through persecution, including massacres, and survived in the harsh mountain region eating staples like potatoes and cabbage. Due to the ever-changing European political climate, the Waldensians lived in constant turmoil. They were banished from their homeland but fought through much hardship to return in 1689. Under Napoleon, they were given equality, but after his reign, their harassment continued. With the Edict of 1848, King Charles Albert of Sardinia granted the Waldensians certain religious freedoms—the ability to emerge from the mountains and attend schools and universities and conduct business. By the late 19^th century, the number of Waldensians was high. The overcrowding led some to seek a new home elsewhere, as did many Italians in that era.

The owner of the Morganton Land and Improvement Company in Morganton, N.C., had a wealthy aunt in Europe who sympathized with the Waldensians’ plight. He offered them 10,000 acres of land. A small fraction of the 25,000 Waldensians came to N.C. in 1893, 29 in May and another 178 in November, founding the town of Valdese (Italian for "Waldensian"). Today, there are nearly 2,000 descendants of the original settlers.

Interestingly enough, the land in which they settled was a foothill area similar to their native Italian home. The soil in Valdese was also not optimal for farming. A few men left town to work in textile mills and returned to open their own in 1901. Waldensian Hosiery Mills thrived. In 1928, Alba Hosiery Mills opened and soon after, other businesses grew. Ten years later, Valdese was named the "Fastest Growing Town in North Carolina."

The new immigrants became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and blended well with the surrounding community, though John Bleynat, a first generation Waldensian, remembers, "A few times I had to assert myself when someone called me a ‘wop’ in school." Despite few such incidents, the Waldensians continued to find ways to survive. In 1915, the Waldensian Baking Company opened its doors. In 1961, the two hosiery mills merged into Alba-Waldensian, Inc. The bakery remained family-owned until the early 1990s and the textile industry has since dwindled.

Amongst these changes, the older Waldensians saw a need to preserve their heritage. In 1974, the Waldensian Museum was opened as part of the Waldensian Presbyterian Church on the corner of Rodoret Street and St. Germain Avenue. It houses various artifacts including a Bible from the 16^th century, a 17^th century published history of the Waldensians and traditional Waldensian garb for women, a shawl and kerchief called la cuffio.

After trips to Italy, some Waldensians felt inspiration to further preserve the heritage. "I went into my father’s church and it really shook me to the roots," Bleynat says. Valdese resident Jim Jacumin, too, had an awakening. With the help of 50 volunteers, he created the Trail of Faith, a 15-station exhibit made to look like the Waldensian village in the Alps. The trail has a replica of the Temple at Ciabas, one of the oldest Waldensian churches in Italy, a replica of the College dei Barbri—the school where they studied the Bible—and a cave where they worshipped in secret. A few of the stations are parts of the original Valdese settlement—the Tron house, a sawmill and the communal oven they had used to bake bread. There is also a war memorial at the trail with the names of men who served in U.S. wars. Though in the U.S. for only five years, three Valdese residents served in the Spanish American War in 1898.

Dina with Joel Dalmas holding his and his father's sticks used to press grapes in the old days

Not to be missed is the Waldensian Heritage Wines on Villar Lane owned in part by Dalmas, a colorful man with a knack for storytelling. Dalmas personally gives tours of the winery and shares his modern-day secrets for making wine—as well as his Burgundy Valdese, the kind of wine his father used to make. Prior to World War II, the winery was a dairy farm. When Dalmas returned from duty, he says, "The cows were gone." He and four friends, Dr. Joe Jacumin (Jim’s brother), Ernest Jahier, J. P. Dalmas (Joel’s brother) and O. H. Pons, Jr., who playfully call themselves the "bosses" of the "Buonvino" family, opened the winery to preserve the Waldensian tradition of winemaking. As Dalmas says, "If you have French or Italian blood, you know how to make wine." Next door to the winery is an impressive stone house displaying the Waldensian skill of masonry. Built by Dalmas’ father, it now houses Dalmas, his wife, and his four sisters (who are all in their 90s).

The best time of year to visit Valdese is in the summer. The Waldensian Festival (commemorating the 1689 return to their homeland) is held the second Saturday in August. Many festivities fill the day, including a bocce tournament, worship service, live shows, arts and crafts and food. Also during the summer, "From This Day Forward," an outdoor drama written by Fred Cranford about the Waldensian saga, is performed by the Old Colony Players of Valdese.

Before 1893, Valdese was nothing but wilderness. A hardy people as strong and steadfast as the stone edifices and successful businesses they created brought with them a great pride in their faith, heritage and tradition to create a legacy that will not be forgotten. Marty Jacumin, Jim’s son, sees a renewed interest in their heritage among the younger generation of Waldensians. He’s joined the men’s group, Le Aphare De Alps and visited Italy with his father. Proud of his Italian and Waldensians roots, he says, "We can’t lose this history or it will be lost forever."