While the Romagna Riviera has to deal with much larger colonies, the Bolognese village of Castenaso also boasts its own peculiar colony of elegant peacocks that wanders undisturbed through the city streets. As told by the local police commander Cristina Bignami, these animals have perfectly integrated into the urban fabric since their arrival in 2017, when a white peacock and three little ones, ironically named Fred, Ginger and Rosi, appeared in the Lower Benfenati area.
Today there are around 15 specimens and their daily life is made up of surprising habits: they sleep in the trees, wander around the retirement home and the clinic, peck at crumbs near an ice cream kiosk and, not a small detail, they cross the pedestrian crossing strictly in single file. There have been difficult moments, such as the dramatic flood of 2023 which decimated the river nests, but the bird population has been able to resist, despite a not always idyllic coexistence in the city.
They even became the mascots of the Grape Festival
Coexistence with the residents alternates moments of great affection with inevitable neighborhood tensions. While on the one hand many families willingly welcome the birds into their gardens or save the eggs by taking them to incubators, on the other hand there is no shortage of protests over the nocturnal screams during the breeding season and over the scratches and souvenirs left on the bonnets of cars.
Mayor Carlo Gubellini and the president of the Pro Loco Nadia Sapori also had to deal with unfortunate episodes, such as that of some young people who targeted the animals with arrows, remembering that they are protected wildlife. Despite the divisions between those who adore them and those who hate them, the definitive consecration came on the occasion of the Grape Festival: the peacocks defeated the competition of grapes and bottles, becoming the official mascots of the event and even ending up printed on t-shirts and magnets, demonstrating that they are now a full part of the community’s identity.
