A Tratturo is a natural-ground pathway created by the moving herds. The Tratturo from L’Aquila to Foggia, 244-km long, is the most important of the five Regi (Royal) Tratturi: that’s why it’s also called Tratturo Magno. The section crossing Campomarino is the last one in Molise. The Regi Tratturi are a precious witness of routes created during the protohistoric period due to social and production systems based on pastoralism, which had lasted for centuries and were relaunched during the Norman-Swabian age and, later, under the Angevin and Aragonese domination. The Tratturi are a the most important monument of the social and economic history between the Abruzzese-Molisan Apennines and Tavoliere delle Puglie, preserved for seven centuries and enriched by further historic stratifications.
The Tratturo Magno is the Adriatic one. It brought enormous herds from the mountains of Gran Sasso, Sirente and Majella to the wide pastures of the Tavoliere, touching many times the Adriatic coast. This is the only tratturo where sheeps and shepherd got in touch with the sea. From the Tratturo Magno starts the Tratturo Centurelle-Montesecco, linked with the Tratturo Lanciano-Cupello. Its route between Abruzzo and Apulia goes through Molise: Montenero di Bisaccia, Petacciato, Termoli, San Giacomo degli Schiavoni, Guglionesi, Portocannone, San Martino in Pensilis, Campomarino. The route starts at the Church of S. Maria di Collemaggio in L’Aquila, enters Molise, goes to the Fortore River and reaches the Tavoliere, where it ends in Foggia meeting the tratturo from Celano.
Along the route, still today you can see several countryside churches or chiese tratturali for the rest and comfort of shepherds, like the church of San Paolo di Peltuinum and Santa Maria die Cintorelli, where the Tratturo Centurelle-Montesecco starts. The Tratturo L’Aquila-Foggia has been recently studied by the Abruzzese Association Tracturo 3000, which organizes since 1997 trekking routes divided into nine stages along the pathway.