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Flora and Fauna

Tuscany’s countryside has been worked and developed for centuries resulting in the classic view of the rolling hills with cypress trees, hamlets and farmsteads. However, not all of Tuscany meets this popular picture. The broad range of Apennines contains areas of considerable wilderness and, within the coastal areas and hill regions there are a wide variety of sub-habitats. Tuscany is also the most thickly wooded region in Italy with approximately 1 million hectares of forests.

Some of the most peaceful and unspoilt areas are those falling under national protection as ‘Parco Nazionale. Tuscnay has two of the eight national parks in Italy: the Monte dell’Uccellina (Parco della Maremma) and the Migliarino-San Rossore area between Pisa and Livorno. There are also two regional parks in the mountains north of Lucca: the lovely Parco dell’Orecchiella, and the Parco delle Alpi Apuane.

Pine trees are abundant and reach from the sea into well protected forests; in the Versilian and Etruscan rivieras as well as the Maremma. Two types of pine dominate: the maritime pine and the umbrella pine. But perhaps the tree most closely associated with Tuscany is the Cypress tree; remember the pictures of the Cypress tree lined driveways leading up to the Tuscany farmsteads sitting atop hills in all those Tuscany pictures ? The Cyrpess grows in all types of soil and has been widely planted by man for ornamental effect and to provide shade and design to the landscape. Chestnut tress can also be found throughout Tuscany and their fruit, the chestnuts, find their way into many Tuscan recipes. Other trees include holm oak, beeches and firs. You can also find wild asparagus, the much prized truffles, numerous funghi and blackberries in the undergrowth.

The Wild Boar is perhaps the most well known larger wild species from Tuscany (not only because of its value to the cuisine). These mammals are shy and difficult to spot for the casual tourist. Porcupines are also common to this area and Roe Deer have been reintroduced to some of the reserves after being hunted to near extinction with most of the other larger mammals. Wolves can occasionally be seen in the Appennines and the upper Tiber valley. Wild goats are also still found in certain areas.

Small mammals include the prolific hare and rabbit which also find their way into local dishes ! Their predators include foxes, polecats, weasels and martens.

There is a large array of birds in this area, some of which use this as a migratory flight path often dodging the many hunters. This variety is due to the many rivers and streams and large expanse of varied countryside. Some of the birds that can be seen are doves, woodpeckers, hoopoes, wrens, thrushes and starlings as well as a few hawks, buzzards and rarely a golden eagle.