On 28 December, at Castel del Monte, we experienced a special moment: the first public screening of the documentary “The Wool Ways in Abruzzo”. A symbolic location for the project, where we were finally able to share the work of the past few months with the local community.
The screening took place as part of “Castel del Monte and the Tratturo Magno – Memory and Future of Transhumance”, an event dedicated to promoting transhumance and the historical role of the Tratturo Magno, one of Italy’s most important pastoral routes. For centuries, this ancient route has shaped landscapes, economies and relationships between the communities of the Apennines, and Castel del Monte is one of the most significant sites within this network of paths.
The documentary
“The Wool Ways in Abruzzo” was filmed along the Abruzzo section of the Tratturo Magno. Through mountain landscapes, historic villages, religious sites and direct testimonies, the documentary portrays transhumance as a practice that continues to speak to the present: a story of identity, sustainability and the relationship between humans and the environment.
Among the film’s protagonists is Donato Mucciante, a figure deeply connected to Castel del Monte and considered the last shepherd in the village to have undertaken transhumance on foot. Sadly passed away just recently, Donato leaves behind a legacy of great human and cultural value: in the documentary, his account authentically conveys the profound significance of a tradition that has shaped the lives of entire generations and continues to live on in the community’s memory.
For this occasion, the documentary was screened in a full-length, extended version, designed for cinema viewing and different from the version that will subsequently be broadcast on television. A way of sharing the film in its most complete form right in the very region that is at its heart.
The discussion with the local community
Following the screening, there was a discussion with the audience and several local guests. The discussion touched on various themes: the contemporary significance of transhumance, the role of the Tratturo Magno for Castel del Monte, and the potential for cultural enhancement linked to this heritage.
It was a moment of listening and participation that demonstrated just how much these stories are still alive and deeply felt.
A broader project: The Wool Ways
The documentary dedicated to Abruzzo is part of the series The Wool Ways, comprising two episodes.
The first is set between Puglia and Molise, along the sheep tracks that link the Tavoliere plain to the inland pastures, and explores the relationship between shepherds, landscapes and historic routes. The second episode, dedicated to Abruzzo, follows the route of the Tratturo Magno from the coast of Chieti to L’Aquila and the pastures of Gran Sasso, passing through places and communities that still preserve the knowledge and memories of pastoral civilisation.
Taken as a whole, the series offers a contemporary perspective on the system of the Regi Tratturi and on the cultural, environmental and social value of transhumance, now recognised as an intangible heritage of great importance.
The evening at Castel del Monte was therefore much more than a screening: it was an opportunity to bring these stories back to the places from which they originate, sharing them with those who continue to preserve them.