Aviano / North Italy

NomadNick

Junior Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
70
Hello everyone!

I recently moved to near Aviano AB / Pordenone in up in Northeastern Italy

I wanted to see anyone else hunted here?

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Hello Nick,

I live in Vicenza. I am currently deployed to Africa but will return in march time frame. I would love to get together to hunt some time. Let me know if you are up for this. Have fun in Italy. I found my oldest coin so far there.......1688 Armata.

Q
 
Chief,

Hit me up in April. I myself will be gone for all of Feb & March so I am trying to get as much detecting in as possible.

We'll see if we can smash that oldest coin record with a few Roman's.
 
you would need special licence for ww1 artifacts in Italy. From what i understand it is a short course usually organized by universities and such but these are going on like once a year therefore hard to catch.
Italians are quite severe about it. Most detectorists i know are digging in nearby Slovenia where the laws are not so strict or at least the control isnt.
Just be careful where you are digging..
 
Karl,

I completely understand. I personally am looking to avoid any ordinance as I like to find historically important finds from the medieval and Roman times. In Friuli Venezia Giulia, I had a Italian lawyer look into this very matter. The simple version of the research is that I am safe my area as long as I stay away from historical buildings and landmarks and stay in disturbed farmland, where there isn't any historical context left due to the plow. All that is needed is to bring any historically important finds, "50 years or older" to the museum.

In England & Germany I did exactly the above; hunt plowed (or previously disturbed) land and turned in all non-trash finds within the specifications given by the various laws and museum services.
 
.... All that is needed is to bring any historically important finds, "50 years or older" to the museum.....

Does someone come by, with a calculator in-hand, to card md'rs while you are hunting, to do the math on the ages of the coins you find ? I'm betting chief Q dutifully trotted off to the nearest museum archie to dutifully turn in his 1688 Armata coin. Right chief Q ? :?:

I know a guy here in the USA, whose in-laws have property in Italy. When he goes there, he just hunts farmers fields (where old villas, etc... used to exist). And there's not a soul around anywhere.
 
In reality there isn't... but I am more interested in the actual finding the cool stuff versus keeping it.
 
... but I am more interested in the actual finding the cool stuff versus keeping it.

Ok then. Send the stuff to me ! I will absolve your conscience of all guilt :laughing:

Seriously now: You have to realize something about the psychology going on here. Assume for the moment that there really is some sort of Italian law like that. And assume for the moment that it applies to everything, border to border, within Italy. Ie.: even private land (as opposed to just registered archie sites).

And now let's assume that legions of md'rs dutifully send in their 51+ old coins to archies. Go figure that archies (the purist bent ones anyhow) HATE md'rs. What do you think is going to go through their minds, upon receiving these envelopes each day, filled with nonsense and worthless coins ? They're going to think "gee, do we really want all these yahooos out there digging up our past?" And then promptly invent a law outlawing it altogether (whether or not 50 yr. old or not).

As evidence of this, consider how that "squeeky wheel glaring presence" psychology has worked EXACTLY LIKE THAT in the USA: Some city invents a rule where a permit is invented for their parks. Sounds great, eh ? Gives md'rs a sense of ability, eh ? Who can argue with the ability to get a "permit", eh ? But lo & behold, a few years later, the program is revoked entirely, and they simply outlaw all md'ing. Why ? BECAUSE THE MERE FACT that it's something that is "perpetually on their table" as something to think about, eventually just lends itself to .... one day .... city council is looking over their list of issued "permits" and thinks: Gee we only generate $xx per year from this, and "gee do we really want these yahoos out digging up our parks?" Thus they revoke it altogether. So you can see how it's better that those bureaucrats DON'T think about you/me (ie.: law= silent on the issue, and it's simply not an issue to think about).

So too do I think that any place where museums and archies are perpetually bogged down with 51+ yr. old coins being sent in, .... it will simply be a matter of time before someone makes it simple and announces "no md'ing whatsoever".
 
Tom,

I agree there are some valid points there but here are some counter points to consider:

There has (and will continue to be) people who do not follow the ethical guidelines and ruin the hobby for everyone else. Purposefully disobeying the rules could be seen as another reason for them to completely outlaw the hobby. I myself am just a guest to their country so it is also important that I follow their laws without hesitation, even if the locals do not.

People new to our hobby often can't tell what a lot of recovered objects are. Priceless artifacts that look like "junk" are lost every day to those who simply do not have the knowledge to recognize perhaps a "junk" metal disc from a bronze roman coin covered in a heavy crust. A catch-all law, such as the ones in Italy and Germany, encourage (or legally mandate) cooperation between the government and detectorists. In Germany, my state had a law that EVERYTHING had to be turned in. After complying initially, I was granted exemption from the department head after demonstrating that I wasn't a newcomer and could be trusted to apply appropriate discrimination of finds to report.

Finally, the most important thing I want to leave you with is this museum display caption for the single small hoard of Roman coins this museum has in its possession. If you read into it, you can see why these types of laws exist and how mistrust has developed.
 

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.... Purposefully disobeying the rules could be seen as another reason for them to completely outlaw the hobby. ....

Well, sure.... if dingbats go flaunting around their finds, and then , sure, someone could do as you say. But CONVERSELY the "completely outlawing the hobby" could come as a result of the scenario I've described too (where perpetual annoyances walking in with 51 yr. old coins annoy them).

So let's cut to the chase: In the entire country of Italy, how many persons are there (museum type people) would are actually aware of, or care about these things ? I mean, if the average police man or lifeguard walking by the beach sees a man with a metal detector, do you *really* think he's aware of any such 50 yr. old rule ? Probably not. And the average pedestrian (or farmer you just got permission) from, do you think they care ? Probably not. In other words, out of 1000 people in any given area of Italy, you'd probably be hard-pressed to find any of them that would get their panties in a wad over it, right ?

So to use Calif. as an example: we can hunt state of CA beaches here till we're blue in the face. No one cares. Yet ..... oddly .... if you sniff deep enough into the dry dusty minutia, you do in fact see verbiage about "cultural heritage". And if you study word definitions long enough and hard enough, you will indeed probably come to the conclusion that you can't find/keep coins over 50 yrs. old. However, you can hunt the beaches here till you're blue in the face and no one cares (yup, even in full view of rangers, etc....). So who's to be bothered? I'll tell you who: If I went to Sacramento and asked long enough and hard enough, I'd eventually find 1 or 2 purist archies on the state payroll to say "give that to me" and "you can't keep that". So guess what would happen if 1000 of us started sending in our 1962 memorial pennies from there on out ? I bet we'd single-handedly get all our state beaches put off limits.

So are we all "purposefully disobeying the rules" here in CA ? Or are we going by the "let's be realistic" reality of life ?

Hence I wonder if the same thing applies to Italy. But by all means, if it's truly a hot-button issue with every cop (and not just 1 in a million archie) who actually cares and knows or cares, then by all means, comply.

What about private land ? (eg.: farmer's land with permission). Isn't that outside the scope of whatever it is that you're saying requires to turn in everything ? Seems that private land would be outside the scope of laws that apply to public land. That's the way it is in England afterall (that's why 99% of all British hunting occurs on private farmer's lands with permission).
 
Yes exactly Tom_CA. You and I have had these discussions while I was stationed in Germany...hehehehehehe. by the way Nomad...you are not required to take it to the museum.....you are required to "NOTIFY" the Carabinari within 24 hours of the find. they will then conduct an assessment on the way forward. I have spoken to multiple Carabinari and just FYI...there are 48200+ detectorist in Italy. a very good friend of mine (Italian) has been detecting for 14 years and never had any issues.....but naturally in that span of time he "reports" all finds....wink wink. lets be realistic. the safest bet/wording to use is you are looking for WW2 artifacts. anything earlier than that you give the perception of being a looter. so do the right thing...notify the Carabinari. They are very nice about it and usually tell you thank you for telling them now goodbye....What the law is looking for are artifacts of Historical or cultural value. a silver coin not so much....a hoard of silver coins definitely. a gold coin....well now you are toeing the line. I advise you to inform the carabinari...understand the wording of the law.......INFORM...does not mean to immediately hand over....because the Carabinari must notify the Historical Office to assess if it is to be purchased from the finder....also any item that they "purchase" from you, you get 50% of what they assess the value to be and the land owner gets 50%...DO NOT HUNT ON/NEAR KNOWN HISTORICAL AREAS! that is a do not pass go, and do not collect 200$. hit me in a PM and I can explain certain things. all in all, the Italians are very friendly about people on their land detecting. Always ask if you can locate the owner....if not....well do the right think and look for them....one swing at a time lol. While detecting, I have had one carabinari stop and ask what i was looking for. i told him WW2 items he then proceeded to tell me if i switched two fields over, I could find older things. so I thanked him and promptly redirected my fire off his advice.....good thing too....went from mid-1900s lira to early 1800s. Italians are not like other places where they immediately get upset...talk to them and they will surprise you with some good info.
 
sent me a pm on my personal FB page here is the link :<<LINK REMOVED BY MODERATOR - PLEASE READ RULES>>
 
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italy

im in Italy now about to get started ms'ing for the first time.

There are present and past detector-ists on THIS site in Italy, Nomad i believe is still there.

Be careful, stay away from historical places, fit into your surroundings, be friendly to any polizia interactions. Learn some language, and be mindful of your great Italian hosts.

I spent a total of 8 years their, and in all of my hunts, i only had 1 interaction with a polizia, after talking, i found out that i was too close to a bombing range, outside maniago. They were trying to help. I thanked them and never went back. Stay away from the historical roman area outside aviano industrial area..fields to the right as you come out, on the left side.
 
There are present and past detector-ists on THIS site in Italy, Nomad i believe is still there.

Be careful, stay away from historical places, fit into your surroundings, be friendly to any polizia interactions. Learn some language, and be mindful of your great Italian hosts.

I spent a total of 8 years their, and in all of my hunts, i only had 1 interaction with a polizia, after talking, i found out that i was too close to a bombing range, outside maniago. They were trying to help. I thanked them and never went back. Stay away from the historical roman area outside aviano industrial area..fields to the right as you come out, on the left side.

thanks for the information. I have seen a few people comment about being here. you're the first I've actually talked to that was here. I'm trying to get ahold of Haris who is a Italian local to aviano. apparently he may still have a md shop in town but I've yet to find it with all its side streets.

I'm unsure which area you're referring to (historical roman area) Me and the wife just moved here a month ago for work. Get 3 years to look forward to. :grin: are you talking about the fields near base when you're heading into the town of aviano?

I took the dogs hiking up the riverbed and into the mountains near what appeared to be a quarry. Lots of wooded areas around there, w some open fields and what look like really old home sites, judging by the paths leading to them and the fact that the open field in the woods seemed like too much of a coincidence.
 
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