L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano " Italy isn't Italy with- o u t d o n k e y s . " – Princess Nicoletta Caracciola Italy's glories are numer- ous, and often they're immor- talized in kitschy miniatures e a s i l y p a c k e d a n d c a r t e d home by tourists. Models of t h e C o l i s e u m , t h e D a v i d , P i s a ' s t o w e r , a g o n d o l a , a donkey…wait, what? Well, there may be a few here and there on a shelf as a reminder of a sweet time in Italy, but t h e l o w l y b e a s t k n o w n a s the asino has never shared the spotlight with Italy's well- known icons. Donkeys first made their appearance on the Italian peninsula about 2000 years ago. Domesticated in North- e r n A f r i c a a n d E g y p t , t h e beasts were used to transport goods along the Silk Road – final destinations being the Mediterranean ports of Italy, Greece, and the Middle East. It didn't take long for these hardy creatures to be adopted f o r t a s k s t h a t k e p t t h e m employed well into the 20th century. Their endurance, calm nature, and intelligence served well for transporting m a t e r i a l s , p u l l i n g p l o w s , operating grinding wheels, carrying humans, and even providing milk. Traditions depended upon them, as well. Can you imagine the colorful carts of Sicily without one, or St. Lucia hauling her Christ- mas gifts on foot? Things change, however. T h e c o m b u s t i o n e n g i n e arrived, and soon tractors and t r u c k s r e p l a c e d d o n k e y power. No longer depended u p o n f o r l a b o r , d o n k e y s became a meat commodity; they soon faced extinction. From World War II to 2008, o v e r a l l p o p u l a t i o n h a d declined by 97%. It's hard to believe, but by 2000 the Mar- tina Franca donkey of south- ern Italy numbered only 96, while Sardinia's once abun- d a n t A s i n a r a p o p u l a t i o n dwindled to around 150. For- tunately, somebody noticed. It was 1969 and Dr. Elisa- b e t h S v e n d s e n , a B r i t i s h hotelier, bought a young don- key, christening him Naughty Face. Smitten, she began acquiring more donkeys. The process opened her eyes to the mistreatment and poor conditions many donkeys endured. Svendson's desire to intervene found an outlet with the inception of The D o n k e y S a n c t u a r y , a British charity she dedicated to the welfare of donkeys. How is this related to the wellbeing of Italy's vanishing donkey population? Despite the lack of publicity, small breeders throughout Italy worked to salvage the coun- try's beloved equines, yet organization and momentum were lacking. In 2006, con- c e r n e d I t a l i a n c i t i z e n s accepted the invitation to join forces with The Donkey Sanctuary, establishing a subsidiary organization, Il Rifugio Degli Asinelli. Nestled in the wooded hills o f S a l a B i e l l e s e ( P i e d - mont), the tranquil refuge mirrors the mission of care, protection, and a permanent safe place for donkeys and mules. The charity has grown to include educational pro- grams, donkey-assisted rid- ing therapy for disabled chil- dren, and welfare officers who investigate complaints of mistreatment. They also wel- come visitors to hobnob with the 135 or so resident don- keys and mules. As if there were something on the wind, other charitable organizations, though smaller in nature, also emerged in the early 2000s. Princess Nico- letta d'Ardia Caracciola followed her heart, and in 2005 established a private r e f u g e o n h e r l a n d n e a r M a g l i a n o , T u s c a n y . H e r efforts, combined with the help of other aficionados, help foster an impressive surge of Tuscany's Amiatino donkey population from a mere 70 to over 700 within several years. Likewise, the beautiful donkeys of Sardinia trotted back from extinction under the loving hand of a M i l a n e s e b u s i n e s s m a n - t u r n e d - d o n k e y - r a n c h e r named Giorgio Mazzuc- chetti. He and his family donated land on San Pietro, their island home just off the coast of Sardinia, as a sanctu- ary to rescue Sardinia's don- keys. At the inception of his charity, only 150 native don- keys remained. With Mazzuc- chetti's and other like-mind- e d e f f o r t s , a 2 0 1 7 c e n s u s declared a hearty population of 1,624 donkeys as a result of one family's initiative. C o u n t l e s s o t h e r s m a l l operations have bolstered the movement to protect Italy's donkeys from extinction, and by all accounts the results are favorable. But what to do with a robust and growing donkey population? The innate attributes of donkeys and mules make them well suited for many endeavors besides that of beast of burden. These intel- ligent creatures show prob- lem-solving and decision- making skills akin to dogs or even dolphins. Blessed with a calmer personality than hors- es, they crave socializing and have a unique ability to bond both with other animals and humans. This, in turn, makes them quite protective of their tribe and very effective guard animals. T h e e i g h t r e c o g n i z e d breeds of Italian donkeys bring a lot of positives to the table; we'll explore a handful of the means that are bring- ing reinvented purpose to these gentle creatures. Most farmers would never relin- quish their tractors, but there are still rural areas where the d o n k e y ' s s t u r d y s t r e n g t h rules the agricultural day. Regions such as the Amalfi coast still rely on donkeys f o r h a u l i n g g o o d s a l o n g steep, rocky trails – in partic- ular the coveted lemons that grow precariously on rugged mountainside terraces. A growing number of trekking operations use donkeys as pack animals and compan- ions, while protected natural zones benefit from their graz- ing as a means of native land management. Mountainous regions have found that don- keys are the perfect solution for controlling grasses that g r o w b e t w e e n o l i v e t r e e s where the delicate soil cannot support a larger animal. An off-shoot of agriculture and a part of what has under- g i r d e d I t a l y ' s t o u r i s m is agriturismo. A growing number have adopted don- keys as a part of the work- f o r c e , b u t m o r e s o a s a n attraction, a living part of what "once was." In fact, eco- tourism in Italy specifically offers experiences focused on interaction with donkeys, as well as hiking adventures fea- turing an equine companion. D o n k e y s h a v e f o u n d remarkable purpose as thera- py animals, as well. Called onotherapy, the donkey's affable nature effectively ben- efits children and adults suf- fering from mental, physical, and cognitive difficulties. With a limbic system, the portion of the brain that reg- ulates emotion, measuring roughly the same size as a h u m a n ' s , t h e i r a b i l i t y t o empathize is remarkable. An additional commodity that is gaining popularity is donkey milk. Recent studies reveal glowing reports of its n u t r i t i o n a l a n d c o s m e t i c properties which furthers the appeal of raising milk herds. If Cleopatra and Nero's wife soaked in it, there must be something to the rumors! Fortunately, The Donkey Sanctuary has formulated a protective protocol for farms rearing donkeys for commer- cial milk production. Once near extinction, the l o w l y b u t e n d u r i n g I t a l i a n a s i n o h a s f o u n d renewal and reinvention in a modern world – and that's a win for all of us. "Italy without donkeys is like Italy without churches." ~ Princess Caracciola PAULA REYNOLDS Donkeys in Sicily at work (Photo: Tayfun Yaman/Shutterstock) Italy's lowly asino - the almost-extinct donkey reinvented LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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