Trame di trame. Ecomusei, transumanze e cammini come sfida interdisciplinare e come processo partecipativo

This paper describes the experience and methodological reflections developed around the T.R.A.M.E. project (Tratturi e Pastorizia, Patrimoni Bioculturali in Movimento). Through an interdisciplinary and holistic approach combining anthropology, archaeology, ecology, and rural economics, the work addresses the challenge of territorial regeneration in the inland and fragile areas of central and southern Italy (particularly between Puglia and Molise). The essay critically examines the risk of “heritage drift” (the aesthetic musealization of the tratturo, disconnected from the shepherds’ actual livelihood), proposing instead the participatory, bottom-up ecomuseum model. This model aims to recognize extensive pastoralism not only as a productive activity, but also as an advanced ecosystem service and a means of culturally interpreting the territory. Furthermore, the parallels between sheep tracks and ecological corridors are analyzed in light of the EU’s Nature Restoration Law, along with the governance and community economic dynamics required for experiential and sustainable cultural tourism.