Maremma is one of the most fascinating areas of Tuscany, with its own strong, wild character. Unlike other parts of Tuscany, it's landscape is varied and eclectic - dense beech and oak forests alternate with olive groves, and plains of wheat and sunflowers.
The Maremma region is one of the least populated parts of Italy, a place of large open spaces and untouched wildlife. This is an ancient land of traditions and habits, some of which date back to the Roman Empire.
But like so many traditions, there are those that face an uncertain future. Among those most at risk are the butteri, the 'Tuscan cowboys'; nomadic, tough men whose existence is under threat from modern farming methods and industry.
According to experts, this band of brothers could hang up their spurs in as little as five years. There are, it would seem, as little as 50 remaining.
Now, then, is the time to visit the region - to photograph the cowboys while we still have the chance.
I've lived and worked in the Maremma region all my life, and I know the area well. I've used by knowledge of the local landscape and its inhabitants to compile a photographic collection of the cowboys.
The collection shows the men living and working in the wild and can be viewed here: http://www.giuliocerocchi.com
A friend of mine, who has lived in Tuscany for 40 years, said: ''The sad news about the butteri is that they are almost extinct. There aren't more than fifty left and with them, a big chunk of the Maremma's history will be gone forever.''
The working day of a buttero starts before sunrise. He saddles his horse and heads out into the fields to where his horses are grazing. He then counts, controls and moves the herd as necessary.
His working life isn't easy, as you can imagine. He's forced to trawl the countryside looking for lost animals; he deals with 'figliature', or 'birth of animals', and the branding and taming of wild colts.
The butteri are the region's key breeder of the Maremmano horse, a strong dark-brown breed synonymous with the area. Like thier breeders, the horses themselves are under threat.
One local farmer told me: ''These are beautiful animals that, like their owners, could be lost forever.''
The buttero guides his horse with a single hand, holding a' l'uncino' in the other - a shaped stick similar to a jockey's whip.
Even the saddles used by the cowboys are steeped in tradition. The "scafardo" of military derivation is built on a wooden saddlebow, and then there is the simpler "bardella".
A breeding programme is now underway, while historians are looking at ways of preserving the cowboy way of life.
What better way of helping the cause than visiting the region and showing your support?
There's hundreds of things to see and do, and the area is a photographer's dream.
Log on to http://www.giuliocerocchi.com/ for more details, or visit www.giuliocerocchiphotographia.wordpress.com. Alternatively, signed photographs are available by emailing me direct: giulioromano.cerocchi@fastwebnet.it
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