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Home › Trips and Visits › Trips › Italian Pigeon Sport - Trip to Rocco Toscani in Tuscany - July 2009

Italian Pigeon Sport - Trip to Rocco Toscani in Tuscany - July 2009

In July 2009 we had the honour to visit Rocco Toscani in Italy. I didn't know it before I visited Rocco, but it seems he belongs to one of the most famous families in Italy! Text to the pictures will be added as soon as possible. Nikolaas Gyselbrecht

Actually I went on holidays to Tuscany for one week...but when I go somewhere, even on holidays, I always think whether I know a pigeon racer close to where I stay...
Rocco Toscani is born in May 1980, he is 29, has one child named Luce and his wife is Benedetta. Rocco says she is the most patient person on earth!!! ;-)
Danielle Coolens, a friend who went with us to Tuscany, we rented a nice house together with her and her boyfriend...She is holding one of the dogs from Rocco. Danielle is owner of Maximum Image, for company clothing, promotional clothing & relation gifts. URL : www.maximumimage.eu
Rocco his profession is being a photographer. He works in the company his world-famous father Oliviero Toscani founded ( Oliviero Toscany is known worldwide as the man who took all the controversial pictures for the 'United Colors of Benetton' Campaign ).
Rocco is a genius in photographing, although he still says his father is much better. Here you can see a pigeon picture, taken by Rocco. I believe Rocco has also a lot of talent to take pigeon pictures. Unfortunately Italy is not a big market for taking pigeon pictures.
The box and lights Rocco uses to take pigeon pictures...
Italian Pigeon Sport - Trip to Rocco Toscani in Tuscany - July 2009
Up until now Rocco raced with 40 cocks and 40 hens in total widowhood, the hens and cocks meet when they get home from the race, which is very difficult here where they race because many get lost during racing season. So starting from next year he will race with 40 cocks and 20 hens. Rocco has 30 breeding couples and 100 youngsters. Many youngsters are sent to one loft races all over the world competing with the "Italian Team" URL : www.italian-team.eu
In total, Italy has about 2.500 pigeon racers.
A breeding record card, made by Rocco. You can see how well he manages his things.
Nikolaas and Rocco.
Italy is divided in the middle by a chain of mountains called Appenini, so all the north of Italy race on the Adriatic Coast (East coast) which has very few obstacles generally winds that blow from the sides or from the front, but most of the trip they do not have to cross mountain ridges or difficult passages to get home.
In his loft Rocco has original birds from Ludo Claessens, Marcel Sangers, Koopman, Kees Bosua, Louis Van Loon, De Klack, Debusquois, Saya.
Rocco, Sebastian and Nikolaas. Sebastian is a bariatric Surgeon in Belgium, working together in team with the world famous Dr. Bruno Dillemans. But despite his busy professional life, Sebastian seemed very interested to keep pigeons. Now only he needs to convince his partner about that idea ;-)
Nikolaas, Rocco and Sebastian.
The most important title to win in Italy is the National championship, but it is very difficult for smaller groups like where Rocco lives.
A difficult question for Rocco, who are the best pigeon racers in Italy ? Answer : Burani( Reggio Emilia) Michele Alberti (San Vincenzo) Pietro Celli (Bologna) Walter Bolondi (Pisa) Andrea Cheli (Massa Rosa) Enrico Galli (Grosseto) Paolo Cattellani (Reggio Emilia) Balboni (Reggio Emilia) Eros Carboni (Reggio Emilia) Dall'Aglio (Reggio Emilia) Burani( Reggio Emilia) Brugnoli (Reggio Emilia)
The truck for Rocco's pigeons and on the picture Danielle, Sebastian, Nikolaas and Jana.
The domain of the Toscani Family exceeds 130 hectares, it is like a movie scenery.
Some nice pictures.
Some nice pictures.
The Toscani family produces great olive oil, about 20.000 bottles per year! The olive oil is produced for centuries in this area. In Italy, when you have a field with olive trees you produce oil. URL : www.otoliveoil.com
One of the greatest passions of Rocco is horses. They bought very expensive horses up to 100,000 US $, imported from US...They have a place where friends can keep their horses.
Rocco and one of his horses.
A place for the horses to train.
In the horse section.
Danielle and Rocco.
Danielle and Rocco again.
To ride horses.
Oliviero Toscani and his family also produce exclusive wine, price is about 30 euro/bottle. The idea of producing wine came in around the year 2000 when Mr Gaja (very important wine producer in Italy) came to visit the Toscani Family and Mr. Gaja told them the place where they live could be a superb area for producing wines, so they did it and it is working perfectly! The grapes in their wines : 50% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Franc, 15% Petit Verdot.
Rocco's mother is a Norwegian fotomodel. So Rocco is half-norwegian, half-italian. His mother is Kirsti.
Places for horses.
A group picture.
Rocco in the trophees room from the horses. When you would type in Rocco Toscani in You Tube you will find some interesting movies.
In the house of Rocco's father Oliviero. Unfortunately at that moment his father was not there... When we ask Rocco if he likes to be compared with his father, he says that he prefers not to be compared with him, but they work together, and in any case he (Rocco) is used to that...his father is better than Rocco in their work. For now Rocco says ;-)
A nice place to relax in the house of Oliviero Toscani.
Another nice place to relax in the house of Oliviero Toscani.
Nikolaas and Sebastian.
Sebastian, Danielle, Rocco and Nikolaas.
Three bottles of wines...different colors, but the same wine! Thanks for the great time you gave us Rocco! Hope to see you soon and for me it is good to know that I have such a good friend in Italy. Website Rocco : www.stellarossa.eu Results pigeons : www.alitoscane.com
Nikolaas G - 27/07/2009
Tags: Rocco Toscani

Comments

Mon, 03/08/2009 - 15:48

HI!!!!!!!!! To my two new Facebook friends

From a Mexican racingpigeons fancier.

Jesus Garcia
Mexico