{"id":10952,"date":"2025-06-10T14:25:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T12:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/?p=10952"},"modified":"2026-05-28T12:13:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T10:13:57","slug":"the-ancient-rhythm-of-transhumance-a-sustainable-journey-through-mountains-and-valleys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/2025\/06\/10\/the-ancient-rhythm-of-transhumance-a-sustainable-journey-through-mountains-and-valleys\/","title":{"rendered":"The ancient rhythm of transhumance: a sustainable journey through mountains and valleys"},"content":{"rendered":"

The transhumance of cattle<\/strong>: a distant echo that still resonates today, an ancestral practice steeped in wisdom and respect for nature. It is the rhythmic movement of flocks and herds, a seasonal waltz that leads the animals from the lush pastures of the plains or rolling hills to the crisp air and high-altitude pastures during the warmer months. A simple and powerful spectacle, an indissoluble bond between man, animal and mountain<\/strong>, which enchants the eye and nourishes the soul of those fortunate enough to witness it. <\/p>\n

Once upon a time, in the small mountain villages, mountain pasturing was experienced as a real celebration: people looked out of their windows and, with joy and admiration, greeted the shepherds as they accompanied their cattle to high altitudes. They knew that the summer would not be easy, but they were aware that their sacrifice would bring sustenance and wealth for all. <\/p>\n

Farming in the valleys is traditionally based on the seasonal movement of livestock between different altitudes<\/strong>, with the aim of making the best possible use of the mountain’s fodder resources. In the summertime, most farmers would entrust their animals to trusted people so that they could stay on the meadows to make hay and perform other tasks. The mountains, in fact, offer fresh pastures with plenty of grass that provide optimal nutrition for the animals. In addition, moving livestock to higher altitudes allows the lowlands to regenerate, thus maintaining an ecological and sustainable balance. <\/p>\n

One of the most appreciated aspects of mountain pasturing is the superior quality of the products obtained<\/strong>. The milk, for example, is particularly rich and aromatic thanks to the mountain herbs on which the animals feed. This is reflected in the cheeses, butters and other dairy products that acquire unique organoleptic characteristics that are often highly appreciated by consumers. Products such as ‘alpine cheese’ or ‘malga cheese’ are testimonies of this tradition and represent gastronomic excellences recognised locally and internationally. <\/p>\n

But like every natural cycle, this too comes to an end. With the approach of autumn and the first signs of cold weather, the reverse occurs: demontrification. The cattle, robust and nourished by the summer pastures, return to the valley, ready to face the winter season <\/p>\n

Transhumance is still today an example of ante litteram sustainability <\/strong>that continues to shape the mountain landscape and provide products of the highest quality, a culture still alive and felt by Alpine communities, as is still the case today on the J\u00f4f di Montasio in the Julian Alps. Here it is possible to taste Montasio PDM<\/strong><\/a>, or ‘Prodotto di Montagna’ (Mountain Product), so called due to the fact that all stages of the chain, from feeding the cows, to milking and the processing and maturing phases, take place in mountain territory. <\/p>\n

Protecting and enhancing this tradition <\/strong>means not only honouring a past rich in history and hard work, but also promoting a development of the mountains that is harmonious, respectful of the environment and capable of guaranteeing a prosperous future for the communities that inhabit and guard them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The transhumance of cattle: a distant echo that still resonates today, an ancestral practice steeped in wisdom and respect for nature. It is the rhythmic movement of flocks and herds, a seasonal waltz that leads the animals from the lush pastures of the plains or rolling hills to the crisp air and high-altitude pastures during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10948,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[220,554,178],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10952"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10952"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12113,"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10952\/revisions\/12113"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montasio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}