Sacred paths in the Valley of Tritana

Regio Tratturo and sacrality of the territory: The churches and pastoral spirituality

y. s. 2016-2017

Translated by Class II O Coordinated by Prof. Manuela Angelone, Grazia Dossena and Giovanna Tacconelli

ENGLISH Sacred paths in the Valley of Tritana Regio Tratturo and sacrality of the territory: The churches and pastoral spirituality

THANKS TO LICEO STATALE ISABELLA GONZAGA CHIETI

for publication on the school website

the schoolmaster Grazia Angeloni for supporting the whole project

Kind photo concessions of the Cooperative the “Bosso” of Bussi, the web site www.valledeltirino.it and Valeria Gallese,

for the revision of theEnglish brochure text Dr. Cinzia Di Febbo class II O for fruitful engagement

Graphic Designer teacher Manuela Angelone

2 3 Sacred paths in the Valley of Tritana Regio Tratturo and sacrality of the territory: The churches and pastoral spirituality

INTRODUCTION

In central-southern , alongside the modern roads, you can find traces and signs of ancient communication routes: the tratturi of and Apulia and the Sicilian trazzere. These were ways crossed by the cattle in transhumance. The transhumance was a periodic seasonal shift that took place in the fall and spring for the search for fresh fodder when the herbs were beginning to fall short for the stormy winds, heavy rains and the first fallen snow on our rugged mountains or because it came from the hot spring sun of Tavoliere. This is how the shrinking economy that has so characterized the landscapes and popular psychology over the centuries: a human reality that has consolidated itself in sacrifice and respect for places and rhythms of nature. We have been devoting ourselves to the study of the sheep tracks, albeit in part and limited in depth, because we have reflected that globalization, wild profit laws, and unplanned urbanization are destroying with great speed a very rich heritage of collective memory. It seemed to us to reflect on the fact that this complex and fragile world over the course of the millennia has favored solid trade, and also exchanges of knowledge and personal relationships, but has been forgotten by Community laws. In 2005 a Protocol was signed by the Regions of Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Basilicata and Puglia to identify “intervention actions aimed at the compatible use of the patrimony”. For some years, a request has been made to UNESCO for the fact that the sheep tracks system is well-recognized world-wide and protected in economic and cultural terms as a heritage of humanity. The aim is to start a recovery for the resumption of eco-friendly economic and cultural activities, production and niche forms to combat ge- netic erosion of plant-induced plant species, promoting sustainable tourism, trade fairs, Traditional festivals and art events that can save small mountain or plain centers from geographic and socio-economic isolation and encourage young entrepreneurship. The sheep tracks therefore deserve our attention. They are an open-air museum, a rich but fragile archive of traces of thousands of human events - our roots.

prof.sse G. Dossena e G. Tacconelli

2 3 THE VALLEY OF TRITANA AND THE TIRINO

www.valledeltirino.it THE VALLEY OF TRITANA AND THE TIRINO

The Valley of Tritana , better known as Tirino valley, has got a surface of 150 km2; the Tirino is defined as the clearest river in Europe for its crystal clear and clean water. It is powered by the carbonate aquifer of the Gran Sasso-Sirente orientale through its springs and after a route of about 16 Km entering the river. It has got a lot of small springs called “water puddles” that give it an average flow rate of about 10 mc/s, a constant temperature of 11 ° C during the year, but the three main sources are: Lago 337 m asl, Presciano 329 m asl, Capo d’Acqua 373 m asl. These latter ones have characte- rized the name of the river that derives from the Greek “Tri- salice bianco pioppo nero tano” which is a meaningful triple source. The water course is characterized by a lush vegetation that is submerged and emerged, the banks of the river are covered with centuries - old white willows, imposing black poplar trees, dense swamps straws, and ”cenerini” willows. The bed of the river is densely populated by water celery carpets that find an ideal habitat thanks to the clear and crystal clear waters that let the sun’s rays penetrate for several feet below the water’s hair, allowing it to do the best of the chlorophylline photosynthesis within the water course oxygenating it bundantly. Just the abundant oxygenation and the low temperature cannucce di fiume sedano d’acqua

5 THE VALLEY OF TRITANA AND THE TIRINO of the river allow trout to be the only type of fish that populates the Tirino, with the trout as an autochthonous species. The Tirino also hosts an important ecological indicator. The Astropotamobhius pallipers, known as Tirino River shrimp, once existed in much larger numbers today, is kept in small nuclei confined to some areas of the river. These are protected by the constraints of the Gran Sasso National Park and the SPA directives (Special Protection Areas). The local wildlife is very rich and in abundant riparian vegetation lives and nests a multitude of trota fario astropotamobius pallipes species such as the folaga, the drip of water, the moriglione, the grebe, the widgeon and on the centuries-old salicies it is striking to observe the garzaie, the green herons and water valleys running on the green and floating water lentil. In the past mostof the economic and commercial activities that characterized the daily living of local communities, were concentrate along the banks of the river, activities such as handicrafts, fishing crafts, ceramics crafts, agricultural productions in the typi- cal Gardens along the river known as “flock” and “cannavine”, cattle breeding, trout fishing and shrimp. folaga fischione

6 THE VALLEY OF TRITANA AND THE TIRINO THE VALLEY OF TRITANA AND THE TIRINO

All the products of these activities were brought to the big market of Tirino on the banks of the river, where others not less precious and important, such as the saffron, Castel del Monte’s chees, Santo Stefano’s lentil, came to confluence. Precisely on this market, the shepherds were involved in trade with the products of their flocks of sheep before going on to Puglia. Just as regards shepherds in transhumance, we are trying to make clear the intricate path that they had in the past for gallinella d’acqua svasso this ancient and noble activity.

martin pescatore aironi cenerini zafferano lenticchie di Santo Stefano di Sessanio

7 TRANSHUMANCE AND SCHEEP TRACKS

Navelli Plain, a charming corner of Abruzzo. The Mediterranean landscape. Silva, saltus, ager. The forest, the pasture, the cultivated field. TRANSHUMANCE AND SCHEEP TRACKS TRANSHUMANCE AND SCHEEP TRACKS

Already since the Neolithic times, there has been a human the flocks to the search for pastures that are more tradition in these places. An economic and social history of suitable for sheep farming. The name “Tratturo” appeared, the Mediterranean territories, consolidated over thousands of for the first time, during the last centuries of the Roman years, which has indissolubly bound hunting, transhumance and Empire as a phonetic deformation of the latino tractoria, rural settlement. The linking element, a kind of “service indicating the possibility of using the land of state property infrastructure”, was in the times the Sheep track, the “tratturo”. free of charge, as it was foreseen in the codes of The nature and morphology of the Central-Southern Apenni- Theodosius and Justinian, benefited by public officials and ne (harsh and hostile environment), the climate characterized which was also extended to shepherds of transhumance by a particularly intense rainfall in the autumn months, for the use of public roads. The Sheep track had abundant snowfall up to the beginning of spring, stiff gone through cold seasons in the south, towards temperatures, consequent non-constant presence of forage, Puglia, where the Dogana of Sheep existed at Foggia; resulted in cyclical migratory movements, already in prehistoric in the warm months the flocks crossed the reverse times, of groups of shepherds devoted to the shift of flocks, route back to the mountain pastures of the central to the processing of milk and wool, that is the transhumance. Apennines, where the sheepfarm was regulated by The transhumance paths have traced the netting on which the Doganella d’Abruzzo. At the beginning of the Bourbon Romans built a capillary road system - 100,000 kilometers of Kingdom, the five main paths stretched to the roads all over Europe. The paths of the pastors are intertwined so-called Regi Tratturi: by the devotional paths. Along these tracks villages were born, and churches, fountains and road crosses were built; those ones L’Aquila-Foggia, degradation is destroying; on trades, civilizations, econo- Centurelle-Montesecco, mies and crafts were developed but because of isolation and unemployment they are disappearing. The term transhumance -Foggia, derives from trans (beyond) and humus (earth) terms, Lucera-Castel of Sangro “beyond the usual (common) land”, and identifies the shift of -Candela.

9 TRATTURO MAGNO

Regio Tratturo was indicated by the placement of stone pastoralism. The Tratturo L’Aquila-Foggia, 244 km, was the terms, the “titles”, that is worked stone horns on which the longest and most important of the five Regi Tratturi, R.T. letter was carved (which is for Regio Tratturo: the inscrip- therefore, it was also called “Tratturo Magno”. His pathway, tion reaffirms not only the boundaries but also the presence inextricably linked Abruzzo and Apulia through Molise. The of the State) and a reference number, as it is learned from the Tratturo Magno begins with the Collemaggio Church, archive documents. The regulation of the land used for Basilica of L’Aquila, its path is dotted with numerous pasture by Alfonso d’Aragona was aimed at protecting the churches, following the course of the Aterno River for transhumance to collect the taxes from the owners of the about 10 kilometers, intertwining with the trails of the flocks who paid for a right of way. Regi Tratturi are today Tritana valley. The Tratturo Magno connects to the Regio Tratturo a precious testimony of paths that were formed in the Centurelle-Montesecco, which begins with the church of Protostoric era in relation to forms of economic S. Maria di Centurelli, located in the territory of Civitaretenga. production and consequently social structure based on This traverse goes through the production area of Navelli’s DOP saffron. Here too many churches of great historical importance are present. The whole area is an evident witness to the agro-food and historical-architectural excellence of Abruzzo. The culture of transhumance has always been intertwined with the sedentary part of the stable population settled in the plain and hilly areas, near the winter and summer grazing areas, and devoted to agriculture and crafts. Over the centuries, there has been a kind of stabilization and institutionalization of movements, today witnessed bya series of urban and architectural elements. First of all, there was the constant identification and use of several paths, often

10 TRATTURO MAGNO TRATTURO MAGNO

and a narrow path connected them to the tratturo’s arms (some of the churches were built in the same way functional to the movement of transhumance and often, in the Middle Ages, they were grance1). These architectural structures were suitable to accommodate flocks for stopping, but also to encourage trade with populous people, before proceeding to the winter pastures plains or before climbing mountain pastures in the hot season. It is not unusual to find beside the pastoral churches green spaces and stone portals with images of Our Lady or Saints: therefore, a refreshment for the body and for the soul. Crossroads (see, for example, the iron cross on the hill of Colle San Martino, in the Campanian section of the Regio Tratturo), sacred edicules, chapels, still existing sanctuaries and military fortifications (Eg. Sepino in Molise), testify the spirituality of shepherds and the need to protect their herds. It should be noted that the votive chapels and the places dedicated to characterized by the presence of sources, caves used for the worship of the Our Lady along the secular paths of propitiatory rites and useful for repairing flocks, rocky symbols; tratturi arise precisely where in antiquity a in settlements that were stable, with the passage of centuries, [1The grance were Benedictine agrarian communities based on an autono- structures such as bridges, squares, fences on the outskirts of the mous economic and administrative organization; they were normally equipped city or in the areas before the silent churches were constructed with a rustic building used as a deposit of what the community produced].

10 11 TRATTURO MAGNO religiosity was linked to the worship of natural elements (such as springs or wells) or pagan myths (Eg, Hercules); or pilgrimage routes have been created along the paths of transhumance. Around this reality a relationship has been established with the living communities: churches and sanctuaries over the centuries have become the symbol of religious piety in the rural world; along the territory of transhumance, there are still existing industries of cheese, wool, woolen cloth, terracotta processing, knife production or “fascere”, characteristic baskets for cheese and cottage cheese made with twisted yarn, still in use today. Today the churches of Santa Maria di Cartignano to Bussi, of Santa Maria della Iconicella near Lanciano or Santa Maria dei Cintorelli near Caporciano, Santa Maria di Cartignano a Bussi in the territory of meeting of Two smaller trattas on the trattoria L’Aquila-Foggia, still that allow us to identify and give identity to the testify us about the complex and stable relation tratturo, the grass roads that have enabled the ship of the pastoral world with the territory; near Fog- cyclical migrations of the pastoral world to establish a gia lies the temple of Monte Calvario, also known as the strong relationship with the territory, so that transhumance Church of the Crosses, situated right on has succeeded in Influencing and unifying culture, the tratturo: so, urban and architectural structures religion, legends, traditions of seasonally crossed territories.

12 TRATTURO MAGNO RELIGION

When the shepherds descended from the slopes of the mountains or crossed the wide highlands, they could find refreshments in silent and solitary churches surrounded by spacious meadows, porticoes offering shelter to sheep and shepherds, and with watering and fountain springs. The stop allowed the invocation of divine protection that gave new strength to face risks and renunciations, because sheep in the path could be stolen, assaulted by wolves and bears, bitten by snakes, or falling into a ravine. Among the patron saints there were San Michele, St. Nicholas, the Our Lady. Twice a year, during winter and summer, the celebrations of the saintly protectors of transhumance took place and on these occasions fairs were held for the marketing of the artisanal and food products. The Abruzzo shepherds, before leaving, brought a votive stake to their patron in their own country to invoke protection from the incognito of the long journey, then they did penance for 40 hours. When preparing for the return, they went to the Foggia fair and made a pilgrimage of thanksgiving to San Michele

13 RELIGION

Arcangelo del Gargano or to the shrine of the Madonna Incoronata. The fairs and celebrations, the propitiatory rites, were shared with the peasant world, which, like the pastoral one, depended on the cycle of seasons. Departures and return of shepherds and herdsman coincided with late summer crops and winter sowing seeds. All the liturgical calendar took account of these working cycles, and, likewise, some of the activities respected the devotional traditions preserved for millennia, during which religious sentiments slowly changed to magic and superstition. It was in any case important that the shepherds would turn to something higher to be protected, as already mentioned, by “thefts of cattle, malice, wolves, bears, stray dogs, crossing rivers, mountain cliffs, diseases, natural calamities, etc.”2 in the long and solitary journey of transhumance. Likewise, the peasant world was well aware of the threat, for their crops, of wind, hail, floods, or drought. Therefore, it called for “la

[2 Edilio Petrocelli, Itinerari - Sulle vie della transumanza – Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata , Touring Editore] San Pietro ad Oratorium esterno, ciborio con affreschie e Quadrato Magico

14 RELIGION RELIGION

le chiese e i santuari per opera del monachesimo (Bendettini, Celestiniani, Cistercensi, Francescani, Ba- siliani ecc.) nei posti strategici attraversati dalle piste tratturali, spesso riutilizzando le strutture esistenti di origine pagana adiacenti a salvifiche sorgenti: sul piano etico e religioso l’uomo orientava i suoi comportamenti ai concetti di bene e di male, acquisiti nella semplicità della vita pratica e dal Cristianesimo che li aveva tradotti nella credenza del permanente conflitto tra Dio e il Diavolo.”3 In our territory, the festivals and sanctuaries dedicated to Our Lady are several along the path of Sannio Molise and in the territory of Frentano in Abruzzo. The Madonnas often had a dark face (Mary was inhabitant of Palestine), wearing the crown (symbol of Queenship of the Queen of Heavens) and were depicted alongside an oak tree that embodied the vital and renewing force of nature. The figure of Mary is similar to San Pellegrino a Bominaco esempio di riparo per il pastore ed il bestiame Cibele and to the Mother Goddess of the pagan protezione divina (in passato appellandosi a Persefone world. Similarly, the cult of San Michele has e Demetra), mentre per esternare la propria fede cercava luoghi replaced Ercole’s culture in Abruzzo. “In Grecia la pastorizia di incontro e di preghiera. In una prima fase utilizzò fiorì molto prima che in Italia e i passaggi tratturali i ricoveri temporanei, come le grotte, e mentre la fede si rafforzava e la comunità si allargava nacquero i romitori, 3Edilio Patrocelli, Itinerari (id)

14 15 RELIGION venivano posti sotto la protezione degli dei edin particolare di Ercole. Anche nell’Italia centrale ci sono numerose testimonianze del culto di Ercole: è stata registrata infatti almeno una quindicina di luoghi ove il culto di Ercole è testimoniato dal ritrovamento di vari bronzetti e santuari […]” With the advent of Christianity, St. Michael’s worship replaces the cult of Hercules: this saint exhibits physical elements of power and protection as the pagan god. The caves are among the most common pastoral shelters that, for their particular morphology, allowed protection and shelter to be easier. The caves were often linked to each other: it is believed that the settlement of S. Pio delle Camere near the TratturoMagno was born from a small agglomeration Ercole Curino - of caves frequented by the pastors of ancient Anzidonia. Caves were used by shepherds in a non-stationary, but seasonal way; hermits and brigands likewise used them, but in a fixed form. The caves stood in untouched places, near sources of water. Later in the same places became the true places of worship associated with the transhumance phenomenon, including the Church of S. Maria delle Grazie of Civitaretenga. The Church of Santa Maria di Cintorelli and the adjacent Grotta S. Michele - Teramo San Michele Arcangelo - Città Sant’Angelo

16 RELIGION RELIGION

premises were used as a sacred place, but also as a place of rest and support of herdsmen and shepherds. Shepherds used this place to rest and overnight waiting for “warningsigns”. At the Church of Santa Maria di Cintorelli, the bifurcation of the Tratturo Magno was realized. From the hill where the sacred complex of Collemaggio rises, the Tratturo Magno Aquila-Foggia began.”4

4Agnese Petrelli*, Teaching Section 39th Meeting A.I.I.G. - Cagliari, La pastorizia oggi e nel passato, 1995 [*Agnese Petrelli, President of the Italian Association of Geography Teachers, Abruzzo Section]

S. Maria delle Grazie di Civitaretenga. Santa Maria di Cintorelli

16 17 CITATION CITATION CITATION I Pastori

Settembre, andiamo. È tempo di migrare. Isciacquio, calpestio, dolci romori. Ora in terra d’Abruzzi i miei pastori Ah perché non son io cò miei pastori? lascian gli stazzi e vanno verso il mare: scendono all’Adriatico selvaggio Gabriele D’Annunzio che verde è come i pascoli dei monti.

Han bevuto profondamente ai fonti alpestri, che sapor d’acqua natia rimanga né cuori esuli a conforto, che lungo illuda la lor sete in via. Rinnovato hanno verga d’avellano.

E vanno pel tratturo antico al piano, quasi per un erbal fiume silente, su le vestigia degli antichi padri. O voce di colui che primamente conosce il tremolar della marina!

Ora lungh’esso il litoral cammina La greggia. Senza mutamento è l’aria. Il sole imbionda sì la viva lana che quasi dalla sabbia non divaria.

19 The Magical Square of St. Peter at Oratorium,