Agriculture and livestock breeding have always been the primary sources of sustenance for communities in the Mediterranean basin. By its nature, agriculture tends to prevail in more fertile areas with temperate climates, whereas livestock breeding spreads in rugged regions with harsher climates, unsuitable for cultivation. Consequently, plains and hills are predominantly cultivated, while mountainous areas have traditionally been devoted to livestock. Over time, this distinction has become less rigid, yet going back just a couple of centuries reveals how markedly different the economic approaches of plains and mountains once were.

Climate, however, also posed an obstacle for mountain livestock farming, especially for herds based on free grazing. In winter, the scarcity of forage forced breeders to move their animals to the plains. This seasonal migration took the name of transumanza, a practice widespread throughout the Mediterranean.

Generally, the distances covered by shepherds were limited, as flocks or herds moved from mountain areas to nearby plains. This form of transhumance, known as vertical transhumance, is still practiced today, albeit on a much smaller scale and with animals transported mainly by truck rather than on foot.

Abruzzese transhumance had completely different characteristics. The scarcity of plains suitable for grazing at the foot of the Gran Sasso and the Maiella forced shepherds to undertake long journeys in search of winter pastures with milder climates. In this context, the long horizontal transhumance toward the pastures of Apulia becomes understandable. The Tavoliere della Puglia, in ancient times, was a region unattractive for agriculture: its arid climate, poor soil, and low population density made it ideal for winter grazing, the so-called pascolo vernotico. Already in pre-Roman times, toward the end of September, large flocks of sheep would depart from Abruzzo to reach Puglia, covering over 200 km in about twenty days. The only other documented example of migrations of comparable length is represented by the Mesta castigliana.

The Romans of Ancient Rome were among the first to recognize the economic potential of these movements. They regulated the passage of flocks and founded cities at strategic points in order to levy taxes on sheep in transit: the pecunia was precisely the fee due for each animal. Important centers such as Peltuinum and Saepinum were thus established along two of the main routes connecting Abruzzo and Apulia.

With the fall of the Roman Empire, historical sources became scarcer, yet the practice of transhumance did not disappear. The shepherds’ journey, however, became more complex due to the absence of a central authority capable of guaranteeing order and security along the routes.