The Tratturi: a network of ancient paths that tell us the history of yesterday and offer a future of social and economic regeneration for the territories they cross.
Transhumant pastoralism, which created the Tratturi across Italy, emerged during the Neolithic revolution (around 4000 BC in Italy), with variations over time and across different regions. The roots of this phenomenon can be found in ancient human habits: following both instinct and the movement of stars, the course of rivers, and pastures for livestock, humans became seasonal migrants. Before Rome imposed the largest road network of antiquity across the peninsula, the Tratturi were already used for commercial traffic and human movement. The term “Tratturo” first appeared during the final centuries of the Roman Empire, as a variation of the Latin term tractoria; this term, found in the Theodosian (401-460) and Justinian (482-565) Codes, referred to the privilege of free use of state-owned land, which was extended to the transit of flocks.
Transhumance was a complex historical phenomenon, involving many aspects of life and culture for the peoples who experienced it. Originating as a spontaneous migration of animals following greener pastures, by the 4th century BC it became a phenomenon managed and controlled by the Samnites, and by the 7th century BC, the Daunians of ancient Arpi (the city of Foggia, named after the Greek) were negotiating pastures with the Marsicani tribe of the Fucino Plain.
In the specific territories of Abruzzo, sheep farming and “reverse transhumance” emerged: a practice where shepherds would settle permanently with their families in mountain towns and descend to the plains in winter. In other European countries, people lived near the sea and moved to the mountains in summer. This phenomenon shaped the landscape, influenced the founding of cities, religious centers, and fairs that developed along the Tratturi.
Consolidated during Roman times, with a centralized power capable of managing mountain and plain pastures, transhumant pastoralism declined after the fragmentation of territorial governance during the Early Middle Ages. It revived after the year 1000 with the Normans, Frederick II, and the Angevin dynasty.
The peak of transhumant pastoralism and the largest structure of the royal tratturi network began in the 15th century with Alfonso of Aragon the Magnificent, who, referring to the Spanish Mesta, in 1447 defined the Tratturi and the Foggia Customs with “the grazing of sheep in Apulia” within the Kingdom of Naples and the newly centralized “Crown” power.
The Customs for the Grazing of Sheep was a fiscal institution based in Foggia, responsible for allocating pastures and collecting taxes. The socio-economic system of transhumance, carried out through the Tratturi, remained stable for about four centuries until 1806 when Joseph Bonaparte declared its end. In reality, the Bourbons made further attempts to reinstate the model, but by then, the decline had already begun. In the 19th century, transhumant pastoralism gave way to agriculture.
Today, the transhumance of flocks is extremely reduced and takes place by truck; however, it is essential to understand how this phenomenon has shaped the territories of Abruzzo, Molise, and Puglia for centuries. The entire Tratturi network in the Kingdom of Naples stretched from L’Aquila to Taranto, Matera, covering about 3000 km of grassy paths. The most important of the royal Tratturi (three main ones with two branches leading to them) is the Tratturo Magno, 244 km long, which starts from the Basilica of Collemaggio in L’Aquila, built thanks to the proceeds of the wool merchants, wealthy traders tied to the economy of transhumance, and ends in Foggia. It is the most maritime, “Adriatic,” of the Tratturi. This Tratturo carried enormous flocks (millions of sheep) from the Gran Sasso, Sirente, and Maiella mountains to the Tavoliere of Apulia, touching the Adriatic, the only case in which the sheep and shepherds reached the sea. The route of the Tratturo Magno has been well preserved, despite variations brought about by urbanization and the construction of modern road networks (roads, railways). Architectural structures, pastoral churches, milestones, fountains, resting clearings, and river crossing traces still stand, marking a route shaped by economic, human, and spiritual experiences.
The Tratturi and the towns they pass through must be protected and regenerated as physical and historical memory of the people of Abruzzo, Molise, and Puglia. After this brief historical overview, it is clear how Transhumance was an important human, cultural, and economic experience and how the tratturi allowed cultural, linguistic, and emotional exchanges that favored the evolution of society at the time, creating solid values that still resonate today. Idioms, dialects, and traditions met and gave rise to new words and ways of acting, which we still find in the traditions of those who lived this magnificent and epic experience. Once the nostalgic moment is overcome, which leads us to a deeper understanding of these events, recognizing the roots, we want to start again from them, as aware individuals, to know what needs to be analyzed, saved, and improved in this priceless cultural, linguistic, artistic, and economic heritage. We want to highlight new cultural aspects that lead us to study and design new ways to experience this reality. For this reason, starting this year, in addition to the existing sections: Poetry, Prose, and Essays, a new section is created: the Projects section, which debuted alongside the Essays section last year and this year becomes an independent section. In this new space, experts in the field will be able to develop concrete projects on how to utilize these territories, rich in history and works of art, to make the long-awaited “Shepherds’ Path” accessible as soon as possible. A path that will initiate a slow economy, breathing new life into these territories. The other sections will focus on emotionally, culturally, and historically immersing themselves in this experience, so that the traces left do not fade. Linguistic, historical, and artistic analyses will inspire poetry, stories, and essays, and everything will be the beacon that illuminates the steps of the new projects. Even in this fifth edition, we maintain the intention to develop, through the cultural tools of literature, history, and project design, initiatives open to the international world. Our thoughts turn to many Italians who emigrated and their second- and third-generation descendants (in North and South America, Australia, Canada, Europe, etc.), who already engage in root tourism and could produce texts inspired by the historical memory of their ancestors and by innovative, creative ideas, to see the places where their ancestors lived come to life again.
The announcement specifies that foreign language texts with translations are accepted from those who have wished to preserve, as precious memory, the recollections of this experience that has touched numerous municipalities (only the Tratturo Magno crosses fifty). The stated, persistent intention is to involve as many young people as possible, who, starting from the traces of memory, can imagine new lives in places of great historical and cultural sedimentation, places where the present and the future can be lived. Only in this way will memory help shape tomorrow and not remain stuck in nostalgic self-congratulation.
REGULATIONS
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Topic 1 for Poetry and Prose Sections
The transhumance and the sheep tracks were not only economic, social, and existential phenomena but also vehicles for cultural and linguistic exchanges. Great traditions and dialects met along the tracks, where intense community life (festivals, markets, arts, etc.) took place, with contaminations reflecting a fruitful system of values, born from the profound and centuries-old human experience that transhumance along the tracks embodied.
These historical truths, primarily of human and communal sharing, can still shed light today on the paths of shepherds with their flocks, but also on “human” journeys, making them relevant in a positive dialectic with the growth of life and the “virtual” travels of contemporary society.
Authors are invited to voice their reflections on these themes through a short story or a poem.
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Requirements for Participation in the Prose Section.
The text, unpublished, in Italian or another language with an Italian translation, must be a prose composition, typed, with a maximum length of five standard pages, to be submitted in Word format (PDF, other formats, or photos of the text are not allowed) in electronic copy to info@concorsoilrovo.it.
Participants may submit only one prose text. Submissions that exceed the specified length, are not in Word format, or do not relate to the topic will be disqualified.
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Requirements for Participation in the Poetry Section.
The text, unpublished, in Italian, dialect, or another language, with an Italian translation, must be a poem or prose poetry, typed, with a maximum length of 30 verses or, in the case of prose poetry, 100 words, to be submitted electronically in Word format to info@concorsoilrovo.it. Two poetic texts may be submitted. Works exceeding the maximum length or not in Word format, or not related to the topic, will be disqualified.
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Topic 2 for the Essay Section
The sheep tracks and transhumance generated a great “sustainable” territorial economy, contributing to the creation of “mountain villages”, deep pastoral-farming civilization, and centuries of prosperity in the affected regions—values still witnessed today by historic centers, monasteries, abbeys, churches, monuments, and palaces. The city of L’Aquila, founded in 1250, quickly became an economic and commercial hub, a nerve center for the longitudinal mobility of central Italy (via degli Abruzzi, Florence-Naples). After just two centuries, the city resisted major military forces, such as the aggressive siege by Braccio da Montone (1423-1424). The establishment of the internal north-south transport system, such as the Tratturi Regi between Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, and Puglia (Foggia Customs, 1447 Alfonso of Aragon), created commercial development and brought great cultural vibrancy to all the towns involved. The sheep tracks revived the function of long-distance communication (after 1000), as was the case in Roman times. Indeed, the early Middle Ages had seen a drastic reduction in road links, with limited mobility. On the sheep tracks, people, flocks, languages, and customs moved; cultures mixed.
In the history of L’Aquila, due to its unique position at the northern border of the Kingdom and at the terminal region (Abruzzo) of the great Tratturi Regi (especially L’Aquila-Foggia), the city’s economic and political success has been confirmed over time. Despite periodic destructive seismic events (earthquakes in 1315, 1398, 1646, 1703, 1915, 2009), thanks to general solidarity, and above all the support of the pastoral economy (sheep tracks and transhumance), L’Aquila has been rebuilt multiple times and enriched with art and culture that has reached us.
Two important events will begin where transhumance started: the city of L’Aquila will be the Italian capital of culture in 2026; moreover, the Jubilee in Rome in 2025 strongly links to L’Aquila, particularly with the Basilica of “Collemaggio”, the site of the first proclamation of “perdonanza”, promoted by Pope Celestine V in 1294. As is known, the first Jubilee was proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300, but it is believed to have been inspired by Celestine’s “perdonanza”.
These reflections on the sheep tracks, transhumance, and the city of L’Aquila and other towns aim to stimulate deeper historical knowledge (old maps of the sheep tracks, reintegrations, historic centers, sanctuaries, etc.), to better understand the present and contribute to a sustainable reuse of the “existing fixed capital” (sheep tracks, hill and mountain cities, mountain pastures, etc.). Participants will focus on the tangible territory, its glorious past, but above all, rethinking it with a future perspective.
Requirements for Participation in the Essay Section.
The text, unpublished, in Italian or another language with an Italian translation, must be structured as an essay, with content related to the above topic. The maximum length of the text is 20 pages, to be submitted in electronic copy, exclusively in Word format, to info@concorsoilrovo.it. Works exceeding the length of 20 pages, not submitted in Word format, or not related to the topic will be disqualified.
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Topic 3 for the Projects Section
The vast territorial network formed by the sheep tracks, particularly the three great Tratturi Regi, L’Aquila-Foggia, Celano-Foggia, Pescasseroli-Candela (over 660 km), and the 130 municipalities they cross, should be seen as a major historical investment (fixed capital) that, starting from historical, natural resources and existing intrinsic energies (see essay topic), could push towards the future.
Reflect on the “reuse” of the sheep tracks as “shepherds’ paths”, religious and secular paths inviting socialization and visitors to rural centers, the effort to bring flocks back to mountain pastures, and also new inhabitants to depopulated towns. A reuse goal for the sheep tracks and depopulated centers could provide valuable input for the future of the territories passed through. Reusing the sheep tracks, also supporting mountain pastures, helps recover the natural resources there. On these ancient and vast territories, people can once again meet to create contemporary life experiences, rooted in deep history.
The transhumance along the sheep tracks was an experiential journey that generated economy, socialization, and culture; these elements should inspire authors to propose projects that honor the history of these places and help them revive through “new shepherd paths” for pedestrians, horses, and bikes, with routes for visitors of all ages and economic conditions, from around the world. The works in this section will aim to offer solutions to reuse the sheep tracks and depopulated towns, using descriptions, graphs, drawings, video graphics, or theoretical models. The objective is to make this vast territorial network, particularly the Tratturo Magno L’Aquila-Foggia, accessible.
Proposals should be limited in scale, also as a “prototype” solution. It will still be large-scale projects (Tratturo Magno 244 km and hundreds of municipalities), so it is important to indicate project solutions for specific points: crossing rivers, major roads, extraordinary maintenance of specific sections of the track, alternative routes where historic tracks have been interrupted, and revitalization and reuse of smaller historic centers. The goal is to contribute to the final objective: “The reuse of Tratturo Magno in its entirety, from S. M. Collemaggio (L’Aquila) to San Michele Arcangelo (Gargano-Foggia), crossing 50 towns.”
Requirements for Participation in the Projects Section
The text, unpublished, in Italian or another language with an Italian translation, must be structured as a feasible project, with content related to the above topic. It may include graphs, drawings, maps, video graphics, or other materials related to the project. The project should not exceed 20 pages, including any maps or graphs. Submit in Word format only to info@concorsoilrovo.it. Works exceeding 20 pages or not in Word format, or not related to the topic, will be disqualified.
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The candidate must submit, along with their work, a presentation of their personal details (name, surname, date of birth), contact information, email address, a brief biography, and express consent for the processing of personal data and submitted works, preferably in a single file.
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The deadline for participation is set for September 25, 2025. For clarifications or questions, contact: 347 6836508 / 340 984 7297 or email: info@concorsoilrovo.it
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The first three winners of the Prose, Poetry, Essay, and Project sections will be awarded. The first-place winners will receive €1,500 and a commemorative plaque. The second-place winners will receive €500 and a commemorative plaque. The third-place winners will receive a commemorative plaque and products from the territories. In case of a tie, the prize money will be split equally among the winners.
Winners will be promptly notified. Results will be made public. Special mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the Jury.
During the award ceremony, winners must collect their prizes in person or, in the case of an unexpected and serious impossibility, may be represented by someone with a signed delegation and the author’s identification.
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Jury members with family relations to participants will abstain from voting, with a mention in the minutes. The Jury may choose not to award prizes or assign mentions if the works are not deemed worthy.
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Winners of the “Il Tratturo Magno” literary prize and winners of the “Il Rovo” contest who wish to attend the award ceremony of the “IL TRATTURO MAGNO” contest will receive a voucher allowing them to stay in the city of Chieti and a commemorative scroll.
Twin Contest
The “Il Rovo” Literary Contest is honored to host this year the twin literary contest “Il Tratturo Magno,” dedicated to the experience of transhumance, shared by several territories in Abruzzo, Molise, and Puglia, which aim to preserve and protect this valuable human experience. It is an experience that has generated a true sense of community, resulting from the meeting of lives and destinies shaped by forests and plains, hard work, and deep exchanges. This precious heritage must be preserved, remembered, valued, and evoked, as collective endeavors bond people and forever link them to the places and shared history.
The purpose of this award is to highlight a now niche reality, making it universally accessible. The “Il Tratturo Magno” prize is tangible proof that the historical memory remains in the territories of Abruzzo, Molise, and Puglia and deserves to be known across Italy and internationally, for the enhancement and regeneration of territories rich in history, culture, unique architecture, and artworks.
