UUmbria, il cuore verde dell’Italia

(“Umbria, Italy’s green heart”): tourism

advertising captures two outstanding fea-

tures of this region: being

located at the very crossroad

of the peninsula and its luxuri-

ant countryside, most of which

is still covered by forests and

prairies. Since antiquity,

Umbria has been a major pot

of Italian peoples and cultures.

Etruscans and Romans fought

for control of the region and

founded many of its towns and

villages. After the fall of the

Roman Empire, Umbria

became one of the cradles of

medieval civilisation. A few

centuries later, Umbrian artists and arti-

sans contributed to the Italian

Renaissance. Thus, Umbria has a rich cul-

tural heritage and is a popular “art

tourism” destination. Historically, Umbria’s

cities have depended on the surrounding

countryside. In the valleys, soil is fertile

and water is abundant, although arable

land is significantly limited by the rugged

hills and mountain ranges, which cover

most of the region. Olive tree cultivation

and terracing have made possible the

extension of the arable surface. Yet, in

many areas this has proved unfeasible or

less remunerative than exploiting the for-

est and rangelands for timber, firewood,

fodder, chestnuts, game, mushrooms, and

wild fruits.

Umbrian peasant farming has been tradi-

tionally based on a mix of cereal and

legume cropping (in the valleys), tree

cropping (on the hills), and animal breed-

History, cculture aand cconservation

Summary.Most of the rugged territory of the Umbria region, in central Italy, is still covered by chest-

nut, beech, durmast and oak forests. Besides retaining water and preventing erosion, forests are rich in

biodiversity and shape the beautiful landscape of the region. For these reasons, their exploitation and use

has been submitted to strict conservationist regulations since the 1970s. The policy was largely based on

two assumptions: i) Umbrian forest were considered to be largely “natural” and to have been historically

subjected to limited human intervention; and (ii) the importance of forestry exploitation for upland farm-

ers livelihoods was deemed disappearing as a result of the country’s major “development” thrust.

Evidence presented in this case study challenges both assumptions. Analysis of the way in which a family

of Umbrian upland farmers has managed during the last 50 years their forest land suggests that the ecol-

ogy of Umbrian forest has historically depended, and still significantly depends today, on human interven-

tions. This includes manuring, introduction of new species, selective cutting of trees and de-stocking of

intrusive animal species. Moreover, livelihoods analysis indicates that forest products (chestnuts, firewood,

posts, mushrooms, fodder, game) are still important assets in the economy of this family, as well as forest

landscape and territory (agro-tourism, horseback trekking). Based on the above, two visions of the impor-

tance of forestry conservation are contrasted: the official one, which looks at the forest as an immutable

“natural monument” to be preserved for future generations; and the one of the informants, who look pri-

marily at the forest, as a “natural capital” asset, which must be wisely cared for to nurture the family now

and in the future. Links between the latter vision and the cultural background of Umbrian farmers are

briefly explored. A number of questions are raised about the opportunity of articulating more appropriate

environmental policies and regulations, inspired by a livelihoods-based approach to forest conservation.

La SSomma: fforest mmanagement, nnew ““ruralness”, aand

agro-ttourism iin tthe uuplands oof UUmbria ((Central IItaly)

Patrizio WWarren

Umbrian ppeas-

ant llivelihoods

has bbeen ttradi-

tionally bbased

on aa mmix oof

cereal aand

legume ccrop-

ping, ttree ccrop-

ping, aand aani-

mal bbreeding

and fforestry