Going to Sleep with the Chickens: Ameli's Tales from Lake Garda

The popular Italian expression Going to Sleep with the Chickens comes vividly to life in the quiet quarter of Fosse Castello in Lonato del Garda. During daylight saving time, especially in May and June, it is delightful to observe the daily evening ritual of the five local hens. Having finished their evening meal around 6:00 PM in their private courtyard, they hop through the gate to stroll among parked cars and along the stone wall of the historic Signori estate.

The hens roosting on the jasmine hedge in Lonato del Garda — The hens roosting on the jasmine hedge at morning awakening.

After orienting themselves, they gather at the upper entrance of Vicolo Fosse Castello to prepare for the night. Two reddish hens with black-rimmed feathers head toward the left-hand wall, while the white hen and two reddish companions approach the right-hand low wall. The white hen invariably takes the lead, hopping onto the small iron gate to survey the lush, fragrant common jasmine hedge blooming with white flowers.

Swaying gently without fear, she selects her favorite roosting spot where two branches form a protective triangular canopy. Moments later, her companions follow, rustling softly through the foliage until they settle in. By exactly 7:00 PM, all five hens disappear completely from sight inside the sweet-smelling jasmine.

At sunrise around 6:00 AM the next morning, they awaken, shake their feathers, and linger on the hedge awaiting full daylight. With a flutter of wings, they fly across the parking lot back to their courtyard for breakfast. Once fed, they happily peck about the yard or take peaceful morning strolls up the stone steps of Via Castello, returning faithfully whenever hunger calls.

In the early days of their neighborhood roaming, local residents once tried using their arms to guide the rooster and hens back to their yard. That attempt proved unforgettable: the rooster and hens squawked so loudly that even the famed Geese of the Capitoline Hill could not have raised a greater alarm against Rome’s invaders! Fearing the roaring squawks would awaken the entire neighborhood at 7:00 AM, the residents wisely stepped back, leaving the independent flock to roam free in their cherished corners of Lonato.