Turin, June 1943. Nightly air raids by the Allies threaten the city. Those who can escape to the hills at dusk. Corrado, a teacher at the municipal high school and reverently called "Professore" by others, also seeks to flee the war there. Drawn by the singing of the people, he joins the inn Le Fontane: from here, one can see the city go up in flames, discussions about what is to come take place here, and the partisans are forming. Among the people is Cate, a former love of Corrado, and Dino, her child, who may also be his. When one day the announcement of the armistice is made, hope briefly blossoms. But the Germans quickly invade the country - and that is just the beginning. The House on the Hill, a novel by Pavese that is still relatively unknown in the German-speaking world, takes place in the chaotic situation of those dramatic summer months in Italy.