UNESCO has officially designated the Abruzzo Apennines as a World Heritage site, recognizing the region's ancient transhumance trails. These migratory paths, used for millennia by shepherds moving livestock between mountain pastures and lowland plains, represent a unique cultural-ecological landscape that has shaped the social fabric of Central Italy.
The inscription includes the preservation of the 'tratturi' (grass tracks) and the 'tholos'—distinctive dry-stone shelters built by shepherds. UNESCO experts praised the designation as a victory for sustainable heritage, noting that these systems offer valuable lessons in biodiversity conservation and traditional land management in the face of modern climate instability.