The first forest school was organized by Balestrieri, who had studied in
Germany, at the Agricultural School near Turin about 1848, transferred
to the Technical Institute in Turin in 1851. This school continued until
1869, and from 1863 on, had been recognized by the State, assuring its
graduates employment in State service. In 1869, the State established a
forest school of its own (_Institute Forestale_) at Vallambrosa near
Florence, with a three years’ course (since 1886, four years) and, in
1900, with eleven professors and 40 students. In spite of the State
subvention of $8,500, it appears that some peculiar economies are
necessary, for owing to the absence of stoves the school is closed from
Nov. 1 to March 1. In spite of the existence of this school, the State
Service is recruited also from men who have not passed through this
school.
The legislative propositions brought forward in 1910 also provide for
transfer of this school to Florence, leaving only the experiment station
in Vallambrosa, and also for raising the standard of instruction. At the
same time, however, there was at the old institution ordered a “rush
course” to be finished in 15 months, since it appeared that not enough
foresters were in existence to carry out the proposed re-organization.
In 1905, a school of silviculture for forest guards was instituted in
Cittaducale, the course being 9 months.
Besides the technical school at Vallambrosa, agricultural schools have
chairs of forestry or arboriculture, as for instance the Royal school at
Portici. As an educational feature, the introduction of Arbor Day, in
1902, _la festa dei alberi_, should also be mentioned.
The existence of a forest school naturally produces a literature. While
a considerable number of popular booklets attempt the education of the
people, who are the owners of the forest, there is no absence of
professional works. Among these should be mentioned Di Berenger’s
_Selvicoltura_, a very complete work, which also contains a brief
history of forestry in the Orient, Greece and Italy. G. Carlos Siemoni’s
_Manuele d’arte forestale_ (1864), and the earlier _Scienza selvana_ by
Tondi (1829) are encyclopedias of inferior quality.
In 1859, R. Maffei, a private forester, began to publish the _Revista
forestale del regno d’ Italia_, an annual review, for the purpose of
popularizing forestry in Italy, afterwards changed into a monthly, which
continued for some time under subventions from the government.
A number of propagandist forestry associations were formed at various
times, publishing leaflets or journals, one of these _L’Alpe_, a
monthly, in 1902. In 1910, the two leading societies combined into a
federation _Pro montibus ed enti affini_, merging also the _Rivista
forestale italiana_ with _L’Alpe_, which serves both propagandist and
professional needs.