History and traditions

As the Lame Reserve lies far from any human settlement, it has long been a hunting venue typically associated with wetlands.

D’Annunzio admirably describes these sheets of water in Alcyone: "Su le lame di Fuore, nel salso strame, ne le brune giuncaie, nell’erbe gialle, oziano a branchi le saure e baie cavalle di San Rossore" (On the waters of Fuore, in the brackish hay, in the brown reed beds, in the yellow grasses, idle herds of sorrel and bay mares of San Rossore).

In the 16th Century, the Medici organised the land they had purchased from the Canonical Chapter into an Estate with grazing pastures and exploited the water areas as a hunting reserve.

The Lorena, in 1732, began an overall re-organisation of the estate hydraulics, which included reclamation of the marshlands, re-organisation of the roads and construction of new buildings.

In 1862, the Savoia Family radically changed the architecture of the existing buildings and also built new ones in the austere Piedmontese style.

After Italy was proclaimed a Republic, the Reserve became part of the demesne and was subsequently assigned to the Presidency in 1957.

In December, 1995 under a convention between the President of the Republic of Italy and the President of the Region, management was entrusted to the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Regional Park Board; in 2000 the final transition to the Tuscany Region was legally sanctioned.