Who are the butteri of the Maremma?

The butteri are herdsmen on horseback, associated with the Maremma, in southern Tuscany and northern Lazio. They are sometimes compared to cowboys, but their work is that of cattle breeders: they watch over and move especially the cattle of the maremmanabreed, gather them and look after the animals during births or branding. Their horse is a working tool, not just a costume element; they must also know how to move through the pastures and scrubland of the territory.

The tradition is ancient, but the butteri are not merely folklore. At the Tenuta di Alberese, near Grosseto, butteri still work with a herd raised in freedom: the estate indicates about 450 cattle for four butteri. That said, this trade has become rare and does not correspond to the daily life of all the inhabitants of the Maremma. You can sometimes see them at demonstrations or rural festivals, but a performance only shows part of a demanding job, practiced outdoors in all weather. The word in the singular is buttero ; in the plural, one says butteri.