For thousands of years the Murgia has been an area of migration. Every year it witness the transhumance of millions of sheep from the Abruzzo region into Puglia. The emperor Frederick II (1196-1266) took the first steps steps to regulate the passage of this vast amount of animals, while it was Alfonso V of Aragon who set up the Royal Customs for the regulation of the flocks. This lead to the assignment of pasture and the rental value given to each animal. The tranhumance of such large amounts of animals required wide and grassy ways, uninterrupted by trees or other obstacles. These grassy ways were known as the Regi (royal) Tratturi. At their widest, the main tratturi could reach nearly 112 metres. Secondary ways measured from 32 to 38 metres, while smaller tracks were 12-18 metres wide and which served to connect the surrounding territories with the main routes.
Tratturello Regio Canosa-Ruvo (Foto di Mariagiovanna Dell’Aglio)
