Land Use Dynamics of Drove Roads: The Case of Tratturo Castel di Sangro-Lucera (Molise, Italy)

Organized transhumant pastoralism has contributed to shaping the cultural landscape of many countries. It has affected areas designated for grazing, temporary and permanent shelters, and towns. Through the analysis of historical maps and recent information, in a temporal range from 1652 to 2014, this study focused on changes in land cover and conservation status of one of the main Italian transhumance paths, namely the Tratturo Castel di Sangro-Lucera. Although there are some areas where this drove road is still recognizable, it is mostly identifiable only through a few tangible signs. The methodological approach, which we present in this study, allowed us to compare historical and recent cartographies as well as archive documentation. The resulting virtual reinstatement is proposed as an efficient method for the conservation and management of material cultural heritage and can be applied in other countries with transhumance drove roads (e.g., France, Portugal).