Sunday September 23 from 1PM to 4 PM EDT. Carmine's Italian Restaurant - 425 7th St NW, Washington DC 20004. Organized by The Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society of the Washington D.C. Area. Buy tickets at www.abruzzomoliseheritagesociety.org. Please join us for a presentation by AMHS member Maria D’Andrea-Yothers on the transumanza and traturri, a phenomenon that has profoundly influenced the economy, culture, and history of Abruzzo and Molise.

The transumanza is the traditional twice-yearly migration of sheep and cows from the highlands to the lowlands, and back. The word literally means “crossing the land”. The regional pastoral economy was based on the seasonal transfer of herds of sheep to the green pastures of the higher Apennines in Abruzzo and Molise in summer, and to the green plains of Puglia and Lazio in winter. The routes followed by the shepherds are known as tratturi. In what is sure to be an informative presentation, Maria will illuminate this pivotal aspect of our regional identity.