Falconers in Maremma Tuscany

 

Today we take you to the discovery of a curiosity about falconry in the Tuscan Maremma.

Did you know that Emperor Frederick II, who favoured the meeting of Greek, Latin and Arab civilizations, considered the Wonder of the world, resided in Grosseto in the period 1244 – 1245? Yes, Frederick II of Swabia, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire chose the Maremma to spend his winters as a guest of the Great Tosco Guglielmo.

From the Fattoria San Lorenzo, AT just 4 km away, go to the historic centre of Grosseto and you will have the opportunity to read on a plaque:: “In this place where the Aldobrandeschi count’s palace once stood, the Emperor Frederick II with his guest court of great Tuscan William in the years 1244 – 1245 was informed by the Count of Caserta of the Capaccio conspiracy”.

Surely Frederick II chose the Maremma because he was fascinated by our coast, woods and marshes, the perfect land to cultivate his great passion, falconry! Just in our land he practiced hunting and continued his careful observation of aquatic and terrestrial animals, but above all that of birds of prey, illustrating their specific characteristics for their use in falconry, that is to say the way to breed and train hawks and use them to hunt, or the matter of the treatise De arte venandi cum avibus, the precious manuscript compiled by Frederick before 1249. To practice this art, the emperor increased and selected horses suitable for hunting that were not afraid of hawks.

By definition of him falconry is the capture of prey in their natural environment by means of trained birds of prey and it is practically what happens in complete naturalness; the only difference between a falconry bird of prey and a wild bird of prey is that in the first way the bird of prey recognizes the falconer as its collaborator..

The art of falconry is still vivid and appreciable in Tuscany in general and in Maremma in particular.

In fact, from 10 to 12 September 2021 the “Game Fair Italia” will take place at the Braccagni exhibition centre, which is at just 20 km away from Fattoria San Lorenzo, and among the numerous shows there will be falconry!

 

 

The Osprey in the Tuscan Maremma

The Osprey is a type of falcon present in the territory of the Tuscan Maremma, a formidable bird of prey specialized in aquatic prey, for the “fish falconry”.

In particular, in the Maremma Regional Park, the osprey, very similar to the peregrine falcon used in falconry, has found one of its privileged habitats.
The “Osprey Project” was born in our Park in 2002, a project for the reconstitution of an osprey nesting population, with the first individuals taken from nests in Corsica and transplanted to our territory. It is the “hacking” technique, which requires donor populations to release young specimens to a new habitat but similar in characteristics. The small birds of prey spend here a period of stay called “in fledging” (about a month), in order to favour in the hawks a kind of attachment to the territory, such as to bring them back to this area once they reach the right age to nest.

Each individual is placed on the paw a coloured ring “Italian blue” in order to recognize and monitor it. Finally, 2011 marks the starting date when a pair of these spectacular birds of prey nested right near the mouth of the Ombrone River. The return of this species to Maremma is of fundamental importance for reconstituting the food pyramid of aquatic systems, of which the osprey represents the apex. Moreover, not surprisingly, the area chosen by the birds of prey is the swamp of the Trappola and the mouth of the Ombrone River.

Therefore, if you happen to roll your eyes when you are on holiday with us, you may also be lucky enough to intercept a large flying bird with a remarkable wingspan, a bright white body and a dark brown necklace around the neck.
Well, if everything matches, then you have spotted an osprey and, if you find yourself near a body of water, you may have the opportunity to see it swoop into the water, or perch on any perch.

Good eye and… good luck!