The difficulty of extracting value from the land, as noted by Abbot Pacichelli in the early 1700s, is echoed with heartfelt tones in the words of Cesare Brandi, who visited Gargàno in 1960.

"In short," Brandi wrote, "how much wheat could grow on those terraces? A handful, and to sow it, to harvest it, to cultivate it, people needed the wings of an archangel; their feet were certainly not enough."

The reference to the "wings of an archangel" pertains to the sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo, until recent times a center of immense devotion that drew faithful pilgrims who, on September 29, used to undertake a strenuous pilgrimage in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel. It's worth noting that in recent years, the WWF of Vieste has restored the path that leads directly to the cave on the Monte.

And the sea? The means of subsistence for Vièste was the "trabucco." These were gigantic marine contraptions, extending into the sea from promontories, with a rudimentary appearance that can be fascinating to those who appreciate fragments. The reality is that trabucchi, as they are constructed, bear witness to the enormous effort of those who tried to harness the sea from the land. They rise on platforms anchored to the rock by large Aleppo pine logs.

The very name "trabucco" conceals, if you understand the italian word, a beam.