Granite goat stalls on the Island of Elba

Herding was a very important activity in the western part of Elba. The highest concentration of sheep was found on the Monte Capanne massif, where many sheepfolds (or "chiusi") are still present today: traces that this ancient activity has left on the territory.

The sheepfold was the structure used for herding: it consisted of a pen or "closed" circular stone wall, used for the housing of the flocks; next to it was the pastoral hut or "small cave", a place for the production of ricotta and cheeses (“cacetti”, “baccelloni”), also used by the shepherd as shelter from the weather.

The pastoral hut was also built with dry stone, circular in shape, with a roof made by overlapping stone rings that gradually created a sort of waterproof dome, but at the same time sufficiently ventilated to allow for lighting a fire. The structure was completed with a small door and a window, which provided internal lighting and ventilation for the smoke, strategically positioned to offer shelter from the dominant winds of the area.

The Shepherds’ Paths, a trail network in the southwestern area of the Island of Elba, combining different routes, allows visitors to explore many sheepfolds of various designs still in good condition, often far from regular paths and thus less known, but they represent the memory of the world of shepherds.