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We are in that of Cerveteri, a town just 40 km from Rome, rich in history and hidden treasures, here many civilizations have alternated, the most important was certainly the Etruscan one, Cerveteri as well as an important museum and the monumental Necropolis, famous for its "chamber" tombs are full of evidence of this important period, then as in the whole area, the Romans took over so that Cerveteri became an important place of residence and vacation, testified by the abundance of Roman villas found throughout the municipal area. Etruscans and Romans were peoples of warriors and hunters, hunting has remained rooted among the populations of the area, currently the area is renowned for the abundance of wild boars, here, unlike other parts of Italy, there have always been , here was born the Caccerella, a traditional hunt on the beat, almost a party where a large number of people of all social classes participate, divided between post offices and braziers who with their dogs track down and move the wild boars. Of course, even the small migratory hunt was very popular, above all because it was particularly appreciated on the table. Dominating the old part of the town of Cerveteri is the Ruspoli palace / castle, and precisely from an idea of the Ruspoli princes, great skeet shooting enthusiasts, was born in 1956, with the indispensable help of the Cerveteri gunsmith Pietro Stella , the current Shooting Star Sporting.
A "red devil" was the beginning of everything, it was a machine that loaded manually, with each shot it threw a target in a different direction, then the field was transformed into a pigeon shooting, taking on the characteristics of a real shooting stand, with aviary and armory. Over the years pigeon shooting was abolished and the Olympic pit was installed, still present although renewed and modernized, but the real leap in quality was made when in 1982, Luca Stella, current owner and manager of the field, as well as of the homonymous armory located in the village, "invents" the hunting route. When the first experiments were made I was there too, I perfectly remember a mixture of pit and skeet targets, as well as two or three strategically placed machines. Given the success among the hunters, Luca opened a second camp, in a tuff quarry a few meters from the first. The second field entirely and solely dedicated to the course, with more or less demanding launches and with very different trajectories that from time to time simulated the pigeon, thrush, blackbird, partridge, gray partridge and hare, here it is called to the masculine! When we arrive today at the camp, open on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, exclusively in the closed hunting period, we find Luca and his wife Sabrina waiting for us, as well as a group of regulars always present to comment and sometimes ... shoot, of course it is possible to buy cartridges and try their hand at the various disciplines of skeet shooting. Currently on the main platform there is an Olympic pit, a propeller field and a compak, decidedly challenging, the field is positioned on a cantilevered rise on the plain that leads to the sea, always well ventilated and pleasant even on the hottest days. Coming down from the knoll, about 50 meters from the armory, we arrive in a tuff quarry where we find the second platform, dedicated exclusively to compak, more affordable targets than those of the main field even if to achieve results it is still necessary to commit, this is the path ideal for hunters who want to approach skeet shooting, who, followed by Luca, manage to get their first satisfactions.
The targets of both hunting courses are rigorously launched manually without the aid of microphones and automatisms, so that, if asked, Luca has no difficulty in having some repetitions carried out, all the targets, even in practice, are marked on the make sure that each shooter, after completing the series of 25 targets, can verify his result. To the Shooting Stella Sporting, occasionally shooting competitions are organized, open to all, generally advertised on the FB page, www.facebook.com/Tiro-a-volo-Stella-Sporting-556276844481528/?fref=ts , and just one of these gave me the opportunity to write these lines.
On 7 August, over 50 shooters and hunters took turns in a competition featuring 20 hunting, 5 pit and 1 propellers worth three points, gastronomic prizes up to 10 classified and cups for the first overall, first ladies , first hunters and first junior. A Sunday of celebration dedicated to those who are tired of the sea and wanted to take the gun to spend a day with people who share the same passions. I recommend to all hunters / shooters who orbit in the area, we are only 40 km from Rome, to take a tour in Cerveteri, they will find a familiar and at the same time very professional environment, they will be able to try their hand in different disciplines of skeet shooting and in particular to the hunting course, of which Cerveteri can be considered the cradle!
