A restored sheepfold on the plateau – today a first port of call for the Murgia park and the starting point for the paths to the viewpoints.
What a jazzo is
“Jazzo” is the name for a fold in which sheep were kept overnight and in winter – built from the stone found all around, with low walls, roofed areas and separate sections for animals and shepherds. The Jazzo Gattini lies opposite the city on the Murgia.
Transhumance
Structures like this are part of the transumanza, the seasonal migration of livestock: in summer the flocks moved up to the higher pastures of the Apennines, in winter back down to the milder plains of the south. For centuries this system shaped the landscape – the dry-stone walls, the tracks and the folds all come from it. When you walk across the plateau, you are walking through a working landscape, not a wilderness.
What there is to see
The complex has been restored and serves as an information point for the regional park. It shows how pastoral farming worked and is also the best-preserved example of this type of building in the area.
As a starting point
From here, paths lead to the Belvedere Murgia Timone with its view of the city, to the Neolithic village and to rock churches in the surrounding area. For most visitors, the jazzo is therefore less a destination than a starting point.
Ask the park about current opening hours, guided visits and access before your visit. Jazzo Gattini – Ente Parco.
Read on
- Parco della Murgia Materana – the park all around
- Belvedere Murgia Timone – the view of the city
- Neolithic village Murgia Timone – the settlement traces nearby
