The Norman Hunter
The book “De arte venandi cum avibus” written by Frederick II was considered a best seller during the Middle Ages: the huge success was given by the interest and the appeal that the medieval population of every social class felt towards the art of hunting.
In this historical period, more than ever, the hunting gets a double value: as food supply for the population and as entertainment for the aristocracy.
At that time, there were basically two type of hunting: the "venatio clamorosa" and the "venatio placita".
The first hunt is the battue, which was carried out by teams composed on a huge number of hunters, beaters and dogs.
Everyone stood in tight disposition in order to stop the animals from penetrating among the beaters, since they ran scared by the noises done on purpose by the hunters - "venatio clamorosa".
The teams used to follow the runaway animals until they shoot them or they used to push the beasts towards another team formed by hunters only who could prey on those animals.
The target of this hunting activity were large animals such as deers, roe deers, boars, but also bears and wolves.
The most common weapons were lances, hunting spears, angons, crossbows.
This type of hunt was practised by the aristocracy too as a hobby, in order to show their physical resistance, the strategy and their bravery in the fight, but they used to move on the hunt territory by riding horses so that they could highlight their leading status.
The second type of hunt is the “Venatio Placita”, which is the ambush hunting.
It was practised individually, or at least by a few people, in silent and standing still way by using ranged weapons such as bows and slings or nets and traps.
This is the typical popular hunt focused on all kind of animals both for food and fur aim and for cleaning the areas occupied by people from natural competitors.
In this type of silent hunt we can include the falconry, which was mainly destined to nobles' entertainment.
In the Middle Ages the hunting regulatory laws were very strict, mostly tied to declare the hunting rights on a specific territory, on specific animals and on peculiar tactics.
By the king's approval, many game preserves were created, so that every aristocrat or monastery can chase in their own area, allowing peasants to do the same but upon agreement, cash payment or giving back part of the killed animals.
For example in the medieval England, deers were King's exclusive property and the killing of those animals was punished with death.
The stall
The creation of my Stall was inspired to that activities which were very common in South Central Italy during the XII century under the Normans domination.
This Stall shows the hunter's work in its final part: the selling of the leather to a potential market or in a medieval feast.
I made a re-enactment in compliance with the features and the demand of this trade during the above mentioned period; for example all the wares are exposed on the ground on boxes, baskets, furs and trellis, because the merchants needed to move from town to town and they couldn't have tables or fixed stalls, so the crates and the containers were themselves the “stall”.
I represent on my Stall the same commodities that the traders used to sell in the XII - XIII centuries.
The furs – showed with an educational goal only – are tanned through the same products the hunters used to handle (vegetable tanning) and they belong to the animal species that the people used to kill the most at that time, representing their use and their availability at the different social classes.
The stall exhibits also other animals parts such as bones, horns, tendons and so no, accompanied by the explanations of their most common use.
You can find on the Stall the typical objects of the hunting activity, such as hunt weapons, traps, blowing horns, flay knives, travel bags, tolls typical of the wildlife.
Everything is handmade, made with historical techniques and materials as a result of my studies on medieval books.
One of the most attractive activities I show on my Stall – which is very typical of the Middle Ages - is lighting the fire by striking the steel, the flint and the spunk.
Andrea Barbieri
In this historical period, more than ever, the hunting gets a double value: as food supply for the population and as entertainment for the aristocracy.
At that time, there were basically two type of hunting: the "venatio clamorosa" and the "venatio placita".
The first hunt is the battue, which was carried out by teams composed on a huge number of hunters, beaters and dogs.
Everyone stood in tight disposition in order to stop the animals from penetrating among the beaters, since they ran scared by the noises done on purpose by the hunters - "venatio clamorosa".
The teams used to follow the runaway animals until they shoot them or they used to push the beasts towards another team formed by hunters only who could prey on those animals.
The target of this hunting activity were large animals such as deers, roe deers, boars, but also bears and wolves.
The most common weapons were lances, hunting spears, angons, crossbows.
This type of hunt was practised by the aristocracy too as a hobby, in order to show their physical resistance, the strategy and their bravery in the fight, but they used to move on the hunt territory by riding horses so that they could highlight their leading status.
The second type of hunt is the “Venatio Placita”, which is the ambush hunting.
It was practised individually, or at least by a few people, in silent and standing still way by using ranged weapons such as bows and slings or nets and traps.
This is the typical popular hunt focused on all kind of animals both for food and fur aim and for cleaning the areas occupied by people from natural competitors.
In this type of silent hunt we can include the falconry, which was mainly destined to nobles' entertainment.
In the Middle Ages the hunting regulatory laws were very strict, mostly tied to declare the hunting rights on a specific territory, on specific animals and on peculiar tactics.
By the king's approval, many game preserves were created, so that every aristocrat or monastery can chase in their own area, allowing peasants to do the same but upon agreement, cash payment or giving back part of the killed animals.
For example in the medieval England, deers were King's exclusive property and the killing of those animals was punished with death.
The stall
The creation of my Stall was inspired to that activities which were very common in South Central Italy during the XII century under the Normans domination.
This Stall shows the hunter's work in its final part: the selling of the leather to a potential market or in a medieval feast.
I made a re-enactment in compliance with the features and the demand of this trade during the above mentioned period; for example all the wares are exposed on the ground on boxes, baskets, furs and trellis, because the merchants needed to move from town to town and they couldn't have tables or fixed stalls, so the crates and the containers were themselves the “stall”.
I represent on my Stall the same commodities that the traders used to sell in the XII - XIII centuries.
The furs – showed with an educational goal only – are tanned through the same products the hunters used to handle (vegetable tanning) and they belong to the animal species that the people used to kill the most at that time, representing their use and their availability at the different social classes.
The stall exhibits also other animals parts such as bones, horns, tendons and so no, accompanied by the explanations of their most common use.
You can find on the Stall the typical objects of the hunting activity, such as hunt weapons, traps, blowing horns, flay knives, travel bags, tolls typical of the wildlife.
Everything is handmade, made with historical techniques and materials as a result of my studies on medieval books.
One of the most attractive activities I show on my Stall – which is very typical of the Middle Ages - is lighting the fire by striking the steel, the flint and the spunk.
Andrea Barbieri