Young Italian Nomads
A year with Alice, Fabio, Martin and a thousand sheep
Photo by Bruno Zanzottera
From Alpine pastures to the Po Valley and back: this is the geographical area covered by northern Italy’s migrant shepherds. Our feature tells the story of Alice and Fabio, a young couple who decided to live in a caravan like real 21st century nomadic shepherds. During the summer season they move around various pastures in the Dolomites, but when the weather starts to get cold, they take their flock, which consists of a thousand sheep, to less difficult climates. In the winter months and up until May the following year they live in a caravan like real modern nomads. Every day they move between the countryside and villages, looking for the leftovers from the harvest in unused fields and trying to carve out a space among people who don’t want to have anything to do with them.
From time to time, they are helped by a young African shepherd.
A year ago, Alice and Fabio had a baby boy, Martin, and their life has been enriched by a new experience and more challenges. Alice continues to follow the flock, alternating feeding the baby with looking after the lambs, changing nappies with negotiating the sale of sheep, and singing lullabies with shouting either at the sheep or the sheepdogs.
A year of sheep farming featuring hard work, nomadic motherhood and African shepherds.
(2021)
