A great tradition...

Maremma is home to the original cowboys - the butteri - with traditions that go way back in time. The herds of cattle used to graze freely (and still do in the Tolfa mountains) and so had to be rounded up for branding ("merca") and calving ("figliatura"). Branding consisted of three marks: one to indicate the year, another to indicate the herd and the last for the family's coat-of-arms. Nowadays, you'll find the butteri at various local events or wandering down the lanes on a late Summer evening. Three sure dates: Festa della Merca in Tarquinia (25th April); Festa della Merca in Monte Romano (May 1st); Mostra Nazionale del Cavallo Maremmano, alternating between Canino (2007) and Grosseto (2006). The Vulci Park occasionally organises days with the butteri (www.vulci.org). The area also offers several possibilities for the physically challenged. Horse-riding schools Local butteri associations