Byways in southern Tuscany . na with its curious squat tower, climb theHills of the Wind to see the village of Capalbio with itsfine, defiant gateway set in crumbling walls of defence andits recent memorial, the grave where Ues one of the mostfamous bandits of modern times, Tiburzi, King of theMacchia. 51 .,r Villa Corsini CHAPTER IVTiBURzi THE Brigand RIVING inland from Orbetello, thereis a long level stretch to pass before onereaches the first undulations of theMaremman mountains. Where theybegin, a building looking half villa halffortress stands upon an elevationabove the road. It was villa
Byways in southern Tuscany . na with its curious squat tower, climb theHills of the Wind to see the village of Capalbio with itsfine, defiant gateway set in crumbling walls of defence andits recent memorial, the grave where Ues one of the mostfamous bandits of modern times, Tiburzi, King of theMacchia. 51 .,r Villa Corsini CHAPTER IVTiBURzi THE Brigand RIVING inland from Orbetello, thereis a long level stretch to pass before onereaches the first undulations of theMaremman mountains. Where theybegin, a building looking half villa halffortress stands upon an elevationabove the road. It was villas such as this of PrinceCorsinis, that paid tribute to thebrigand Tiburzi, remarked my friend the Sienese, andthis was the field of his exploits. It is hard to realize that it is but a few years since theclose of a career like Tiburzis, rendered possible by con-ditions that have so completely changed. The land ofthe wild boar and of Tiburzi the region was called; andfrom these hills absentee landlords contented themselves 52. BYWAYS IN SOUTHERN TUSCANY with what income they could wring from estates managedin spite of malaria and highway robbery. Two courseswere open to the owners of these lands: to live in a con-stant state of defensive warfare, subject to loss of cattleand other depredations on the one hand; or, on the other,to pay tribute to a robber captain. Many submitted to thelatter condition, humiliating though it might be, andthereby enjoyed a measure of security. A yearly sum paidto a powerful brigand secured them immunity from beingplundered by lesser highwaymen, for a landlord known tobe under the protection of such a captain was not molestedby others. Satirical as it may sound, under this arrange-ment crime notably diminished; for the brigand was inreahty more powerful than his countrys government, andcontrolled the zone in which he operated with an authorityfar more complete. The existence of such outlaws was for years only spas-modically interfered with. After som
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecttuscany, bookyear1919
