A bit of Italian history and a lot of faith reside in the mountain town of Valdese, NC. Members of the Waldensian Faith, the oldest recorded Evangelical religion, settled the town in 1893. They hoped to find a place where they could practice their beliefs in peace after centuries of persecution for their religious views. The foothills of the Blue Ridge reminded them of the landscape of their native Cottian Alps.   

       Moving away from their traditional lives as farmers, the Waldensians turned to sawmilling and manufacturing. They established thread, weaving and sock mills and one of the largest commercial bakeries in the region.

       But they never forgot their heritage. They recently opened the Trail of Faith, a testament to their history. A two and a half-acre, open-air museum guides visitors through fifteen original and painstakingly-recreated buildings and other elements of their history. That includes a reproduction of one of the caves where the early worshippers held services and a 'mountain trail,' like the ones they traveled on foot when they were exiled from Italy to Switzerland.

       The site is adjacent to the amphitheater where the open-air drama "From This Day Forward," which tells the Waldensians' story, is staged every summer. Also each summer, the town holds the Waldensian festival with folks wearing traditional costumes, a boccia ball tournament, religious observances and street fair.
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