Hounds: The charm of a great hunter told to Mondo Caccia by Sergio Leonardi with the preview presentation of his latest book which is a journey into memories and the discovery of places and traditions that have the dog as the protagonist.
There were really many, hunters but also curious and simple dog lovers, who listened to Sergio Leonardi for the absolute preview presentation at Mondo Caccia in the space of Federcaccia of his latest book "Conoscere il segugio Maremma" which, already in the title, indicates the will to accompany the reader to discover the qualities of a breed that only recently (in 2009) was officially recognized by the ENCI even if it has much more ancient origins.
"It is a breed that comes from the natural selection made by hunters and sharecroppers of a poor Maremma where hunting was used to supplement the diet that came from the cultivation of the farm - says Leonardi - and the dog had to be small, agile, robust, tireless . These are the most evident characteristics of a breed that has had a spontaneous evolution by selecting the best ones, those capable of finding the track and following it quickly and effortlessly, warning the hunter who knows he can trust the nose and fidelity of his. hound".
But in the book Leonardi not only made a precise reconstruction of the origins by expanding the knowledge of the previous edition of the book, but went further by intertwining the information on the Maremma hound with personal memories, hunting experiences and, above all, of the relationship with nature, of a world where dog and hunter team up, a world where affections and memories, such as that of "Vespina" a much loved specimen, have a formidable intrinsic value.
Therefore a book with the "technical" and scientifically complete panorama of a breed that Leonardi Cacciatore loves and that helps him to make this world known and loved as it is today and as it was in the past to read but also to live with a key to reading hunting is almost lyrical, "because Sergio's books - said Carlo Romanelli, writer and hunter himself, introducing it - more than publications on hunting, they are books about life and tell us about a territory and a practice that represents the history and culture of our countryside that we must not forget ”.
Carrara, November 23, 2014