Two enormous eagles soar through the air, taunting each other with swoops and near collisions with an intricacy that the most skillful fighter pilots could not replicate. Far below, in the Furlo Valley, outside of the town of Cagli in the Marche region of Italy, Capt. Rochetti de Armando gazes into the sky with humble admiration of such a beautiful sight.

Rochetti, 47, the captain of the forestry department in Cagli, the Corpo Forestale dello Stato, recalls the eagles playing as one of the most wonderful sights he has seen during his 27 years with the Corpo.
Although the Corpo Forestale’s main station in the area is in Cagli, it also covers the neighboring towns of Fermignana, Aqualagma, and Cantiano, totaling a vast and beautiful 41,000 acres. The Cagli branch seems to lack personnel to cover this large area with only seven rangers, but Rochetti has a different view. “We have the biggest group in the area.”

Rochetti’s passion is evident. “I have always loved nature a lot,” says Rochetti. “I chose to become a ranger after seeing these people do their job.”

Rochetti has brown hair peppered with gray, and he sports the classic law enforcement mustache, which also includes a heavy dose of gray. Standing at about 5-feet 8-inches, Rochetti is not a tall man, but, his olive-green uniform fits snugly on his broad shoulders and chest.

A forest ranger has many jobs in Cagli, and Rochetti has been a part of them all. The Corpo Forestale is one of the five departments within the police force in Italy, and in the past, the Corpo’s main goal was to conserve the forest and protect it from trash and misuse. In 1822, Carlo Felice de Savoia founded the Corpo with this objective.

There are now several other responsibilities on the Corpo’s watch, including the preservation of endangered animal species such as wolves, eagles and deer.

Additionally, there is a daily trip to the Meteomont, a weather tower on a mountaintop high above Cagli. The weather tower also acts as an alert system during the winter months for serious events such as an avalanche.
When the weather gets warm and the trees and grass dry out in the summer sun, Rochetti and the Corpo take on another task, the prevention of forest fires. “There are not so many fires because we are quick to prevent them.” Rochetti concedes that he can’t take all of the credit. “We have less fires than say, Sardinia, because our trees burn less than others,” and the types of leaves on the trees in the area are not as prone to catch fire.
In addition to protecting the forest and animals and checking weather conditions, the Corpo also participates in other law enforcement activities. “We can make arrests just like the police,” says Rochetti.

“During football matches and other events in town, we can be present to keep the peace.” In 2004, the conviction rate for environmental offenses increased 12.3 percent, giving Rochetti a great satisfaction in his job. “When someone commits a crime against nature and they are convicted, I am satisfied,” he says.

As if all of these duties were not enough to keep Rochetti and his men busy, these men also undertook a trip to Kosovo in the 1990s to help get Kosovar Albanian refugees to the border and to transport food and supplies throughout that country.
Six of these seven members of the Cagli branch live in Cagli, including Rochetti who does not have to travel far to work. Rochetti simply smiled and pointed a finger toward the sky when asked where he and his family live. He, his wife, son and daughter live in the headquarters above the main offices.

Rochetti’s 23-year-old-son shares his fondness for nature, but not for the job. “I have conveyed my love for nature onto them, but my son will never wear a uniform,” says Rochetti. “This kind of job requires a lot of sacrifice, so you must really love what you are doing. It is more of a passion than a job.”

Rochetti doesn’t plan to leave Cagli anytime soon. “I’ve traveled a lot, and now I’m glad to be here in Cagli,” Rochetti says. “I love the environment and the landscape. You can find all kinds of animals, plants and wildlife here, and I hope to stay in Cagli.”

Rochetti recalls his eagle sighting with particular affection. “Seeing the two eagles playing together is an exciting event,” says Rochetti. “These experiences are very beautiful.”

story by Mark Flynn
video by Amanda Kulakowski
photos by Jennifer McGuirl
web design by Jenna Van Deventer

[HOME]