THE ROYAL FOREST SCHOOL AT VALLOMBROSA. 185 



when the duchy of Tuscany was annexed to the kingdom of Italy ; 

 and, among other changes, the sale of ecclesiastical property was 

 determined upon by the State. Among the many strangers who, 

 every summer, visited the monastery of Vallombrosa was Signor 

 Commendatore Biagio Caranti, president of the council, admini- 

 stering the Cavour canal, who, struck with the regularity and 

 vastness of the surrounding woods, conceived the idea of providing 

 in them for the technical instruction of the numerous forest 

 employ6s in the kingdom. No time was lost in carrying this pro- 

 ject into execution; and having obtained the royal sanction in 

 1867, the present director, Cav. Adolfo di Berenger (formerly in 

 charge of the forests near Trieste, under the Austrian Govern- 

 ment), was appointed to organise and superintend the undertaking. 

 Two professors were at first associated with him ; and with this 

 staff, a course of instruction, extending over three months only, 

 was begun in October 1867. It was not, however, till 1869 that 

 all the necessary steps for the transfer of Yallombrosa and Paterno 

 were completed. 



Extent. — The extent of woodland attached to the Vallombrosa 

 monastery was classified thus : 



Ettari (hectares). 

 Abetina (pine forest), . . . 245,147,040 



Faggetta (beechwood), . . . 62,184,377 



Marroneta (cbestnut), . . . 150,724,695 



458,056,112 

 (2 hectares are equal to nearly 5 acres. ) 



As soon as the Minister of Agriculture assumed the direction 

 of the lands, conservancy measures were introduced, the woods 

 during previous years having suffered greatly from neglect. The 

 various provinces of Italy were at the same time invited to con- 

 tribute towards the expenses of the institution, according to the 

 number of pupils educated, which all did, with two exceptions. 

 The formal opening of the Forest School took place in August 

 1869, with the names of twenty-five pupils on the roll. 



The institution, with its director and two professors (now 

 increased to five), had many difficulties to surmount in the 

 hitherto untried path on which they entered. These were over- 

 come by the help and support given by the Department of 

 Agriculture. At last the course of instruction was regularly 

 established, and the institution began to acquire the scien- 

 tific materials and appliances necessaiy for carrying it on. 



