Every Tuscan village has a mayor, a priest and a bar. But anyone who has spent time in one knows who’s really in charge.
The cats.
They sleep on the warmest stone. They sit in the best windows. They walk down the middle of the lane as if they built it. And, in my experience, they’re the most patient models a photographer could ask for.
Here are a few of the ones I met over the years.
The cat on a hot window ledge, Colle di Buggiano
This is probably my most famous cat. I met her (him? I never did ask) in March 2016 in Colle di Buggiano, a little hill village in the Valdinievole, in the province of Pistoia.
She was stretched out on a window ledge, behind the most beautiful curly wrought-iron grille, soaking up the sun. “A very friendly cat”, I called her. She didn’t move a whisker while I took picture after picture.
To be honest, I was as much in love with the window as the cat. The pattern of the ironwork matched the door beside it, and I wrote at the time, “We just don’t seem to have them made like this anymore.” We don’t.
That photo went on to become the header of my old website, and even ended up on a mug. Not bad for an afternoon’s sunbathing.
If you visit, Colle di Buggiano is a short drive up from Borgo a Buggiano and Montecatini. It’s quiet, steep and very pretty. Look up at the windows. You never know who’s watching.
The posing cat, Castelvecchio
Back in June 2013, in Castelvecchio in the Svizzera Pesciatina, I came across a “very content cat” who “happily allowed me to photograph him/her” while he or she posed. And posed. And posed some more.
Some cats run when they see a camera. Village cats seem to know exactly which side is their best.
The cat in the box, Calamecca
My favourite cat story isn’t even in a photo here, sadly. In 2012 I was up in Calamecca, in the Pistoia mountains, and I found a cat curled up in a box outside someone’s front door.
He wasn’t a stray. It looked as if his owners had put the box out specially for him, so he could rest outside and watch the village go by. “Just sooo adorable,” I wrote. I still think that.
That’s the thing about village cats. They often belong to one house, but they’re looked after by everyone. A saucer of milk here, a scrap of prosciutto there, a box by the door.
Where to find them
You don’t need to look very hard. My tips:
- Go in the afternoon. After lunch the whole village slows down, and the cats find the sunniest wall and stay there.
- Look up. Window ledges, balconies, the tops of walls. Cats like a view.
- Check the flower pots. Pots of geraniums seem to be irresistible.
- Be quiet and patient. Crouch down, wait, and let them come to you. Most will.
- Don’t feed them without asking. They usually belong to someone.
A little gallery of village life
I didn’t set out to photograph cats. I set out to photograph doors, windows, steps and arches. But somehow there was always a cat in the frame. Sitting on the step I wanted. Peering out of the window I’d just focused on. Walking right through the middle of a video.
I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re part of what makes these villages feel lived in.
If you love wandering the lanes as much as I do, try my wander around Fibbialla, or the eight small villages I think everyone should see. Keep your camera ready. There’s bound to be a cat.
You might also enjoy:
- A wander around Fibbialla
- 8 small villages in Tuscany you’ve probably never heard of
- A dawn stroll with the spirits of Castelvecchio
Susan
