The Tratturo Magno from L'Aquila to the Gates of the Tavoliere

Picture a path as wide as a motorway, but made only of grass. The Tratturo Magno, the most important of the transhumance drove roads, measured by law sixty Neapolitan paces, about one hundred and eleven metres across, and for centuries was travelled by the flocks that each autumn came down from the Abruzzo highlands towards the winter pastures of the Tavoliere delle Puglie, only to climb back up in spring. Today those sheep are almost all gone, and the drove road remains: a very long green ribbon crossing three regions that almost no one walks in its entirety. To walk within it means having, for hours, only the wind, the larks and a few ruins for company.

From L'Aquila

The Tratturo Magno links the area of L'Aquila to that of Foggia. The Abruzzo capital, with its Collemaggio basilica and its historic centre reborn after the earthquake, is a natural starting point. From here the route descends towards the south-east, crossing the L'Aquila basin and heading for the great highlands. It touches the Navelli plain, land of saffron, and draws close to the territory of Capestrano and the Tirino valley, where the network of drove roads intertwines with that of the lesser branches.

Continuing on, the trail reaches the Adriatic coast and enters Molise from its northern edge, crossing lower Molise, the area that preserves some of the best-conserved stretches of the entire drove-road system. Here you come upon the symbolic places of the transhumance: the area of Montenero di Bisaccia and Petacciato, the surroundings of Termoli, the rural chapels and the taverns where shepherds once rested along the way towards the inland hills. Further south the drove road skirts towns such as Guglionesi and San Martino in Pensilis and crosses coastal and hilly Molise until it looks out towards Apulia.

Towards the Tavoliere

The last great stretch descends towards the Tavoliere, the boundless plain of the Foggia area that was the flocks' final destination. At the gates of this plain the landscape changes: the mountains open up, the horizon widens, and you understand why, for the shepherds, arriving here meant the end of the long journey. Along the whole route you encounter drove-road boundary stones, fountains, isolated little churches and the remains of the way stations and taverns, silent witnesses of a vanished economy.

To reach the starting point, L'Aquila can be reached by bus from Rome and has rail connections too, though the most convenient way remains the coach. Walking the Tratturo Magno calls for a spirit of adaptation: it is not a fully equipped trail like the more famous ones, the signage is patchy and in some stretches the route is interrupted by roads or crops, so good maps and navigation skills are needed. The villages along the way offer simple hospitality, farm stays and small guesthouses, but the distances between one town and the next can be long and must be planned with care.

When to go

The ideal months are May, June and September. In May and June the tall grasses bloom and the highlands turn an intense green, while September brings mild temperatures and clear skies. High summer, on the Tavoliere and at the lower altitudes, can be scorching, while winter makes the high-altitude stretches impassable. Precisely because there is no organised flow of tourism, in any season it is rare to meet other walkers: the Tratturo Magno remains one of Italy's great forgotten itineraries, and this is its most precious gift.

Practical tips

A practical tip: don't set out thinking you'll find a bar or a reliable fountain every few kilometres. Plan your stages around the real towns, carry water supplies and check in advance where to sleep, because many places have very few facilities and out of season it's best to call ahead. And give yourself the time to stop before one of the rural chapels along the way: in that silence, with no one around, you truly understand what the transhumance meant.

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