Every spring, swallows fill the skies over Tuscany with graceful flight and joyful chirping. With their forked tails and swift, darting movements, these birds (called rondini in Italian) return from their long journey across the Sahara and the Mediterranean, bringing the first signs of spring. Their arrival marks the end of winter and the beginning of the new season. If I close my eyes and think of summer, I can hear the sounds of swallows and cicadas in my ears, mixed with the sound of the hot summer breeze rustling through the trees.
Swallows are a common sight in the Tuscan countryside, especially in villages and rural areas where old barns, stone cottages, and roof eaves offer the perfect shelter for their nests. They are master builders. Using nothing more than mud and straw, they build small cup-shaped nests, typically under eaves or on sheltered ledges. You’ll often find them busy in the early morning light, collecting tiny beakfuls of mud from riverbanks or puddles, flying back and forth to patch and reinforce their homes.
These nests are not just practical: they are vital. Swallows return to the exact same place year after year, often to the very same nest. In Italy, swallows and their nests are strictly protected by law. Removing or destroying them is illegal, even if they seem abandoned.
In Tuscany, many still believe that swallows bring good fortune. Their presence is seen as a blessing, and their songs are part of the “summer soundtrack”. Having a nest under your roof is believed to be a sign of a healthy home and good luck.
At the end of summer, you will see the swallows gather in the evenings, lining up on telephone wires before their long journey back to Africa. Their departure, like their arrival, is a symbolic moment for those who, like me, grew up in the countryside: a reminder of the cycles of nature and the flowing of time. Many talks with my grandparents were dedicated to observing their movements and figuring out what the days ahead would bring in terms of weather. An ancient way of figuring out what was to be done in the fields according to nature’s clock. This is how deeply these birds are woven into the life of Tuscany.
So if you visit in spring or summer, look up. You may be lucky enough to witness not only the swallows in flight but the quiet, beautiful work of their nest-building: symbols of endurance, return, and a deep connection to place for all those who, like many, must leave their home and long to return.
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