We have arrived at our final destination on the trip. The Abruzzo region, in the town of Fontecchio, where our tour guide/ professor/ translator/ friend Alessio lives! Tucked into the side of a mountain and overlooking the valley, this rustic little town has views that make the journey their very well worth it! Many of the towns in the region developed along a transhumance path centuries before, where the people relied on sheep as the main resource of the region. Due to the variability of summer and winter grazelands, the people began to practice common property farming, and the land was essentially shared among the people and allocated for each farmer on a seasonal basis to provide food for their flock and thus for their family.

We have seen examples of this common property ownership of natural resources in many places throughout Italy. Issues have arisen in recent years, with the influence of private business practices seeking control of property to reap larger profits. While exploring the countryside we saw a farmer still herding his sheep through the transhumance path, though he implemented today's technology by following the herd in his Volkswagon...

This trip has really shown me that their are other successful possibilities for sustaining both profits and long-term environmental health of a region, as long as cooperation is at the foundation of their system. It seems like an ancient practice in the U.S., but those who value traditions and legacy here in Italy have shown that it is still possible to live simply and find joy in doing things the old fashioned way, and there are many benefits of doing so.

Going to miss this country, until next time Italy!
Ciao,
Jackson Leech

Local identity, final blog.

Unfortunately it has come to an end. Such an amazing experience. This was such an amazing opportunity that we were all given and I'm so glad we all did. Econ 215, you will be missed! Italy has by far changed my views on life and has taught me many great things along the way. From learning how to be flexible with time to also getting places on time. As well as being open to many new ideas and to completely indulge into another culture I have never experienced before. Definitely a humbling study away program. 

Getting the chance to learn about the economics of the areas we went to was like a dream come true. Growing up I had always seen the history and the travel channels show Ancient Rome and walking through the streets of Venice. But to be able to actually be in these areas and to go to other places I had never even heard of before this, put me into shock. Having learned about so many different cultures and how the economics ties into all of them was fantastic. Actually getting the chance to be up close and personal with a lot of these economic projects was a great way to learn and really helped me understand how the economics played into it. 

Throughout our entire study abroad program we saw a lot of preservation of old buildings, artifacts, roads, terraces, etc. And in the last article that we presented on, we learned how preservation vs new technology can play a large role in the Abruzzo community. We all saw the damage that had been done to this region through many earthquakes, it was quite horrifying. And what was so amazing was the fact that a lot of this region had still not bounced back from the earthquakes and buildings were still in shambles. This was when the question of why don't the people in this region rebuild a lot faster but that's because they want to preserve the art and history here. To them preserving is more important and if they rebuild and find new infrastructure who's to say another earthquake won't hit again. A great example that we saw from this was going to a house where they were restoring old fresco paintings, the question of is it worth it to find all the pieces to the paintings, and who's interested in this. But to them it didn't matter they were doing what they wanted to do. It was amazing to see the dedication that these people had. Abruzzo was just one of our beautiful stops along the way and we could not be more happy that we were blessed with these opportunities, until next time Italy!

Bailey Takacs, Jackson Leech