From the Mountains to the Sea the Transhumance
The transhumance, from the verb “transumare” in Latin, meaning to cross or transit over land, was part of the Apennine Mountain culture, history and geography in Abruzzo and traditionally passed through the Vasto region.

The Transhumance, which can be traced back to Roman times, was the seasonal migration of sheep from their summer grazing grounds on the slopes of the mountainous Gran Sasso area of Abruzzo, to winter grazing on the lowland pastures of Molise and Puglia. In the spring, the shepherds and their flocks returned to their mountain habitat. This annual movement of livestock has now been replaced by modern animal husbandry. What remains are some stretches of the traturri, the historical drover’s trails, and the food of the shepherds that are local specialties of Abruzzo and Vasto. 

On the arduous 200-kilometer journey through Abruzzo, the sheep that were too weak for the trip became the proviant of these rugged mountain people. They grilled arrosticini, small cubes of skewered mutton or cooked a savory lamb stew seasoned with salvia, rosemary and thyme, herbs that grew wild along the trail, and made ricotta and pecorino cheeses from sheep’s milk, that they traded for other foods and goods as they made their way south. These foods became synonymous with the cuisine of Abruzzo.

*Sepino is an Archaeological site in Molise near the town of Campo Basso. It was once a thriving Roman meeting place on the traturro (sheep migration trail). Sepino’s stone paved streets, the foundations and walls of its buildings, majestic gates, mason work, and Roman amphitheater are all well preserved and maintained, and worth a visit.