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Hunting season has arrived here in Umbria. A thousand little signs tell me so. Shops, even supermarkets, display camouflage gear for sale. And at dawn I hear the pop of shotguns from the hills around us.

There are strict rules governing when, where and what you can hunt and getting a license, which must be done through the Questura (Italian State Police) can be onerous and expensive.

The season begins with birds - doves, blackbirds, crows, jays and magpies among them. Later on, quail, woodcock and partridge are added to the list.

Some of these fine feathered friends find their way to the dinner table while others are considered merely crop pests and not especially tasty on a bed of polenta.