The Royal Palace of Caserta bans horse-drawn carriages
Environment — di Brunella Paciello
An important victory for Caserta, which bans horse-drawn carriages following the tragic death of a horse from heat and exhaustion.
The Royal Palace of Caserta bans horse-drawn carriages
An important victory for Caserta, which bans horse-drawn carriages following the tragic death of a horse from heat and exhaustion.
It is undoubtedly a victory, even if it comes in the wake of a tragedy. Following the death, on 12 August, of a horse pulling a carriage at the Royal Palace of Caserta, the management of the Unesco heritage monument, which had already suspended the service after the animal's death, has decided to permanently discontinue the use of carriages in favour of a golf car service.
A golf car service to replace the carriages
"The management of the Royal Palace of Caserta, which took up its role last July, has embarked in this first year on a profound programme of renewal, meeting no small amount of resistance. The intention from the outset has been to bring an eco-sustainable approach, respectful of the artistic, botanical and animal heritage, to the management of the entire Vanvitellian complex. The commitment is constant and daily, to resolve long-standing issues that have never been tackled before. We invite everyone to avoid cheap exploitation and grandstanding, in the spirit of a healthy system of relationships and of the values of ethics and mutual respect," reads a statement from the management itself. A measure many have judged belated, but one that represents an official stance on an issue activists have been debating for years.
A victory that must not remain an isolated case
Every summer, with the scorching heat, the issue of carriages and horses used for pulling becomes particularly pressing. "We are pleased that Caserta has decided to replace horses with golf cars. Unfortunately it took a death in the sun. But at least a step forward has been taken and there will be no more suffering. We now hope that the administrations of so many municipalities will also move to restrict animal traction. Rome has done a great deal, with the city council approving a regulation — which I helped to draft — that restricts horses to just four historic parks, removing them from the asphalt of the streets. However, in order to become operative, the regulation still needs to be approved by the full city assembly. We hope Rome will do so soon. So many other cities, like Florence, are sleeping. And horses continue to be used," declares Edgar Meyer, president of Gaia & animali e ambiente.
Ieri il cuore di un cavallo si è fermato, le gambe non lo hanno più retto ed è crollato per le fatiche di questi giorni sotto il sole ardente, trasportando turisti alla Reggia di Caserta. Elisa dice basta alle carrozze di cavalli che trainano turisti.
✍🏻 Change.org/CavalloCaserta
✍🏻 Change.org/CavalloCaserta
A national law is needed
And indeed, Caserta's stance is merely the tip of an iceberg concealing many shortcomings and a great deal of mistreatment of horses. "A national law abolishing animal traction is needed — a law that regulates a practice which, in today's cities full of cars, no longer has any reason to exist. Gaia Animali & Ambiente helped to draw up a draft law, which for now is sitting in some drawer in Parliament. Shall we bring it out?", Meyer concludes with a question.
Summer is drawing to a close: we hope that with the coming year, the barbarism of Rome's botticelle and of vehicles pulled by horses, mules and donkeys for the amusement of tourists will truly become a sad memory.