Sheep-farming

Today in Abruzzo there are no more than 450,000 sheep; one for every three inhabitants.
The extraordinary development of sheep-farming in Abruzzo was determined by exploiting to the full the benefits of the mountainous pastures in Abruzzo -impracticable in winter but flourishing in summer - and the grassy plains of the lowlands of Puglia.
Instrumental in using this to the full was transumanza (transhumance) a seasonal movement of men and flocks between these two geographical areas of pasture, covering hundreds of kilometres on foot at the end of Spring and beginning of Autumn. The route of those moving to other pastures followed a regular network of wide grassy paths: the tratturi (sheep-tracks). These winded down from the furthest parts inland of Abruzzo, more specifically the valley of L'Aquila, from Celano in Marsica and from Pescasseroli at the top of the Sangro valley to the lowlands of Puglia around Foggia and Candela. The "tratturi" followed routes that had been used for centuries, but it was during Roman times, when sheep-farming took on this transhumant characteristic, that exceptional development began. Even then, the routes followed during the transhumance were defined and protected by laws which became even more stricter during the Aragonese domination.
During transhumance there were many stops along the way for the shepherds, and for their well-being and that of their animals different ways of providing food and rest were found over the centuries. Characteristic and very widespread were the chiese tratturali (churches) as "structures for service" which could offer, not only spiritual assistance and comfort, but water for the men and flocks, a safe resting-place for the animals and a roof for the shepherds for the night. These were located at regular intervals along the route allowing enough time between one right-stop and the next.

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