Abstract
The article illustrates the interest in transhumance routes, the ancient paths connecting high and lowland pastures in Southern Italy and other Mediterranean regions, as elements of particular importance for sustainable geotourism management. As a contribution to the needs of requalification of the drove roads, we propose a method of analysis for their preservation and their reuse for geotourism purposes, showing the steps and instruments necessary to organize, enhance and communicate transhumance routes as integrated cultural landscapes. Results are presented as applied to a specific case study (Molise, IT) of a geoconservation management proposal for the assessment of the state of conservation of the drove roads, of their cultural heritage and of their potential reuse for geotourism. This methodological proposal uses geographical information systems, historical sources, cartography and remote sensing techniques and includes 3D virtual reconstructions of the transhumance landscape. The article is meant to contribute to a non-stereotyped image of transhumance geoheritage, reflecting on communication and learning strategies supported by geo-historical analyses, in order to promote a greater awareness of landscapes genesis and evolution for visitors and local communities. It is argued that future challenges of geotourism relate to the ability to recompose nature and culture to an interpretive unity, both from a theoretical and operative point of view, and that the goal is to reach an integrated tourist offer focused on the relationship between man and environment with the signs of territorialisation processes expressed through economic vocations, traditional production chains, cultural values and territorial identity. To this purpose, the valorisation of the transhumance routes—for their historical-economic, ecological, landscape, patrimonial and identity meanings—seems to respond perfectly.
Highlights
Geotourism Perspectives for the Promotion of Integrated Cultural LandscapesIn the ongoing global dynamics, local systems can base their territorial competitiveness on the diverse and complex set of internalities that define the originality and identity of the places in a context of innovation of the global value chains
As a contribution to the needs of requalification of the drove roads, we propose a method of analysis for their preservation and their reuse, showing the steps and instruments necessary to organize, enhance and communicate transhumance routes as integrated cultural landscapes
The method described above was applied to the territories of the Unesco Man and Biosphere area at Collemeluccio-Montedimezzo Alto Molise (Figure 2) and, for geotourism enhancement, to a pilot area in the municipalities of Vastogirardi and Carovilli located between the two reserves in the buffer zone of the MaB area
Summary
In the ongoing global dynamics, local systems can base their territorial competitiveness on the diverse and complex set of internalities that define the originality and identity of the places in a context of innovation of the global value chains. By means of a case-study, a geoconservation management proposal is presented which aims at defining a methodology for the assessment of their conservation state, of their cultural heritage and of their potential reuse for geotourism purposes This method uses geographical information systems, historical sources, cartography, remote sensing techniques and proposes 3D virtual reconstruction in order to promote greater awareness in geotourism practice and to apprehend the nature of transhumance landscapes, their genesis and evolution processes and their cultural value for both visitors and local communities. A “neo-humanistic” perspective is proposed, that allows to unite the interest in geophysical features and cultural heritage concerning the transhumance phenomenon
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