Tracks and civilizations of transhumance

Transhumance is a pastoral custom already present in prehistory and which also developed in Italy via the grassy paths of sheep tracks. These wide paths testify, today as yesterday, a balanced relationship between man and nature and the sustainable use of natural resources. It consists of the seasonal migration of livestock in the Mediterranean and the Alps. Transhumance was included in 2019 by UNESCO in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, recognizing the value of the practice based on a transnational candidacy presented by Italy, Austria, and Greece. Among the routes of transhumance, nominated intangible cultural heritage, there are also the sheep tracks found in the provinces of Chieti and Pescara. The largest sheep track of the five Regi Tratturi, 244 kilometers, is the Tratturo L’Aquila-Foggia, also called Tratturo Magno. This path crosses several towns. For the province of Pescara it touches the towns of Corvara, Pietranico, and Rosciano, for the province of Chieti it crosses the towns of Chieti, Lanciano and Vasto. Another sheep track that crosses the two provinces, 155 km long, is the Centurelle-Montesecco sheep track. It starts from the sheep track church of S. Maria di Centurelli, near Civitaretenga in L’Aquila, and ends on the same sheep track in Molise. Passing through the municipalities of Bussi sul Tirino, Bolognano, and Manoppello for the provinces of Pescara, and Roccamontepiano, Fara Filiorum Petri and Guardiagrele for the province of Chieti. The epic of transhumance inspired Gabriele d’Annunzio in his poem “Pastori”. The poet recounts the slow journey of the shepherds and their flocks from the mountains of Abruzzo towards the grassy pastures of Puglia until they came into contact with his beloved Costa dei Trabocchi. This rocky stretch of the Adriatic coast, in the province of Chieti, is characterized by the spread of the trabocco, a fishing machine on stilts that is now a place to immerse yourself in the flavors of seafood cuisine and a destination for tourists from all over the world.