What to see in Molise
My list of what to see in Molise – one of the least known regions in Italy with proud traditions for bell founding, knife forging and bagpipes.
Three meager pages are all my battered old Lonely Planet from 1996 dedicates to Molise in central Italy, but the lack of obvious tourist appeal can also be seen as one of the region’s finest attractions.
Molise was part of the Abruzzi – then in plural – until 1963, when it became an independent region divided by mountains and ravines that have made communication difficult and helped to preserve a slightly back-ward rural atmosphere. With landscapes and towns still marked by devastating earthquakes and heavy battles during the World War II.
Here are some suggestions on what to see in Molise’s two provinces Campobasso and Isernia.
Photos from Campobasso (left) and Termoli (centre, right) on the Adriatic coast.
Around Campobasso
The regional capital Campobasso stands out as one of the most cracked up, divided cities I have ever seen. Deep ravines and valleys make it difficult to get around, so I only caught a glimpse of the old castle Castello Monforte and centro storico on a distant hilltop. The commercial city center is mainly modern and not particularly interesting unless you are a wannabe carabinieri checking out the surroundings of the national military police training academy.
Outside Campobasso you can visit the well preserved Roman ruins in Saepinum. There’s good skiing and hiking country in Monti del Matese, where you can follow the old tratturi droving trails that join the pastures of Abruzzo with Puglia. And Termoli on the Adriatic coast is a fantastic summer holiday destination, if you want to combine beach life with trademark shopping, old fishing traditions and historic drama. The short stretch of coast offers wide sandy beaches surrounded by dunes and pinewoods. There is colourful local life and medieval sites to observe around the charming borgo. And the emerald waters of the three magic Tremiti islands are only a ferry away.
The pictures were taken in Venafro and Isernia.
Isernia and one of the oldest settlements in Europe
The historic centre of Isernia is a well restored beauty, complete with an original Roman cardo maximus fanning out into a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys. The town is believed to have been one of the oldest settlements in Europe as archeologists have found 700,000 year old traces of fire used by humans. And there are other places of archeological interest in the area like the charming hilltowns Pietrabbondante and Venafro.
Other places to note are the village Agnone that has specialized in bellfounding. Frosolone which is well known for knife forging. And Scapoli where they have this thing – and a museum – about bagpipes.
In other words there are lots of interesting stuff to discover in Molise.
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I’m sure I could sit near that fountain all day and just watch, think, r e l a x !!!
Yes that green lake does get you in a meditative mood. No need to mention there are no places to sit and there is a (rather smelly) fish farm a few metres to the right:)
Must admit I had to look up Molise on the map. Don’t think I’ve ever heard of it before. Looks like it has quite a few things going for it, though. Wonder why it isn’t better known? (Of course, it’s difficult to compete for attention among attractions in Italy, I suppose…)
I guess you’re right. It is not easy to compete with neighbours like Rome, Naples, Amalfi, Gargano and L’Aquila.
I haven’t heard of Molise before too but what a charming place with so much to offer. I would love to visit Castello Monforte. Bellfounding and knife forging are enough to pique my interest in visiting these little villages too.
It’s a nice place and very much under the radar in spite of its proximity to Rome and Naples.
Hello there. Love your ‘Italian Notes’ pages. Are you able to suggest a charming boutique hotel in Rome for a few days in late June. Something with style and character, far away from what the big hotel chains do. Also we want to split our week so maybe 3 or 4 nights in the city and then the rest in a more relaxed environment up to an hour away from Rome. I have been reading your feature about Molise which looks a candidate.
Those are big questions:) I’ll try to mail you directly.
Now that I’ve spent some time in Puglia, I can’t wait to explore its neighbors. Molise looks like a good place to start. You said it, the lack of tourist appeal can certainly be a plus.
It is very charming – in a subdued kind of way.
I found your blog through my interview on Inside Journeys and randomly clicked on this post because it mentioned “less touristy”. Love it! The streets, buildings and sites here look so neat. I love how each country has it’s own distinct vibe. Nice blog!
Thanks for dropping by and for guiding me to your site as well – it’s always nice with some inside information from new parts of the world.
Absolutely love this. So many things to find out and see in Italy and I’ve barely even scratched the surface!
I’ve been scratching away for years, and there is still so much to find out and see.
I was born in Agnone but now live in the United States, You left out that twice in December on the 18th and then on Christmas Eve Agnone holds the “Carnevale Agnonese”, including the Ndocciata, which is a huge torchlight parade of thousands of handmade, wooden torches made into nine different quarters (“borgate”), accompanied by the sound of bagpipes, to the Piazza Plebiscito where a brotherhood bonfire is lit.It is attended by tourist from all over Italy and Europe, As well as there famous Caciocavallo cheese made by Caseificio Di Pasqua
Thanks
Thanks you so much for additional information on Agnone. It’s inside knowledge and comments like these that make blogging so much fun:) Actually we were on the way to Agnone to see the Bell Foundry last time we visited Molise, but for some reason we got delayed and missed it. Now I’m determined to visit.