Visit to the Dairy Art and Transhumance Museum

The Transhumance civilization has been described as a “civilization of pain and hope,” referring to the immense sacrifice endured by shepherds who had to transfer back and forth to Apulia and the families who remained in the mountains, eagerly awaiting their return. This civilization was built upon discipline, hard work, and the cycles of nature, serving as the foundation of the economy and society in central-southern Italy for centuries.

In 2008, Franco Di Nucci established the Dairy Art and Transhumance Museum, a versatile space with the primary objective of preserving the memory of this remarkable seasonal migration of people and livestock, as narrated through the history of the Di Nucci family. Hailing from Capracotta, as evidenced by records held in the Business Archives, the Di Nucci family has passed down the knowledge and craftsmanship of Transhumance from one generation to the next for approximately four centuries. The tale begins with Giovanni Di Nucci, a shepherd, cheesemaker, and “massaro” of Transhumance—the last family member to participate in the monumental seasonal migration of people and livestock. The tale continues with Antonio and Ida, who established the dairy, leading up to the present-day farm. The micro-history of the Di Nucci family, an example of a family-run enterprise, intertwines with the macro-history of the phenomenon that has shaped the economy and society of our lands.

The museum showcases a small collection of antique tools once belonging to the Di Nucci cheese makers, along with the invaluable book of the “Ragion Pastorale” published in Naples in 1731, providing further support to the narrative. The museum tour ends with a guided tasting session of 3 stretched-curd cheeses, crafted by the Di Nucci family following in the footsteps of their ancestors.

*N. Paone, La Transumanza. Immagini di una civiltà, Cosmo Iannone Editore, Isernia 1987.