Rucs i Someres

Rucs i Someres is dedicated to organizing tourist walks on Catalan donkeys through the Parque de la Piedra Tosca.

With the implementation of the European Life Environment project, the Les Preses Town Council has promoted the restoration of part of this area. This is what is known as the Parque de la Piedra Tosca (Tosca Stone Park ), a place created with the aim of recovering, respecting, and consolidating the work carried out by our ancestors some 150 years ago.

A natural environment with history

The Tosca Stone Park , a labyrinth of paths, dry stone walls, stone huts, and cabins, with a landscape that changes throughout the year, welcomes us and returns us to a state of silence and a sense of living without haste. It also helps us understand the extreme human need and tenacity to transform an exceptionally harsh terrain. The delicate combination of interventions to restore and reclaim the landscape has earned the Tosca Stone Park the Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize .

An open space that exemplifies the restoration of natural landscapes, from volcanic terrain to agricultural fields, through a combination of artificial and natural elements. The Parc de la Pedra Tosca received the Architecture Prize for outdoor spaces at the tenth edition of the Girona Region Architecture Awards in 2006. In 2007, the park was again recognized with the X+ Verd Award (for “greener”) at the second European Green City Congress held in Barcelona.

ACTIVITIES FOR EVERYONE

Rucs i Someres offers an inclusive and enriching experience, suitable for all ages and designed to be enjoyed in company. Whether it's a family outing or an educational activity for schools, summer camps, or groups of children, the experience with Catalan donkeys is fun, safe, and educational. It's also a perfect option for celebrating special events such as birthdays, meetings of organizations, or team-building activities for companies.

History of the Catalan Donkey

The Catalan donkey originated from the Somali subspecies of wild ass , Equus asinus somaliensis, which gave rise to the donkeys of the Near East and, later, those of Europe. It is closely related to the Mallorcan donkey and the Zamorano-Leonese donkey.

This breed is considered to be very ancient. Even in the time of Pliny the Elder, it was recorded that donkeys, then known as Ausetani, were traded in the Vic Plain.

Despite having been a key element in agricultural work for many years, the decline in its use has also led to a significant reduction in its numbers, to the point that it is now endangered. While there were approximately 50,000 in the past, today there are little more than 500, and more than 100 of those live outside of Catalonia.

Although it has been recognized with distinctions such as the best breed of donkeys in the world, after having obtained various awards, it was traditionally especially valued for breeding mules intended to pull carts.

Furthermore, it is the breed from which the Mallorcan donkey originated and one of the foundation breeds of North American donkeys. Its breed characteristics have often contributed to the improvement of other breeds worldwide.