Falconry does not foster exclusion. Contrary to many other forms of typically male activities, it has never been closed to women. Women are the fastest growing demographic among falconers
 © Michele Casiraghi, 2015

Falconry as living heritage

Country
Italy
Contributor
General Secretariat - Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, MIBACT

In Italy unfortunately, due to the actual pandemic situation our living heritage has been impacted negatively. Falconry needs, to be practiced, to go outside daily in the countryside for training the birds of prey and this was forbidden during the lockdown period in March-May 2020.

Again in these days, due to new limitations we are forced to stay home. This time, following the actual animal welfare law it’s possible to get outside to fly with our birds, even if hunting is still not allowed and, of course, falconers must go alone.

One of the main aspects of falconry as living heritage is the possibility to share our passion with friends and to pass it on from generation to generation. That is now impossible: COVID-19 emergencies directly threaten the transmission and viability of Falconry as Intangible Cultural Heritage, which provides a crucial foundation for the identity and wellbeing of the Falconers communities.

Organizing on line event and webinar – we have organized some – isn’t so useful while our heritage is extremely practical and even if it is possible discuss about falconry in streaming we all miss our contact with the nature. All the activities planned according to the project “Art of falconry: safeguarding plan for a sustainable relationship between man, birds of prey and nature” presented by the Coordination of the Associations signatories of the UNESCO nomination file for funding applications under Law 77/2006 (Law February 20, 2006, n.77 “Special measures for the protection and use of Italian sites and elements of cultural, landscape and environ-mental interest, included in the list of world heritage, placed under UNESCO protection) reserved for the elements included in the UNESCO Representative List, evaluated by the MiBACT with a positive response in June 2019 had to be rescheduled according to the new COVID regulations.


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