The Molise Region
is situated in a mountainous area of Central Italy between the Apennines and
the Adriatic Sea. Thanks to its wild landscape it is considered one of the most
important green areas in Europe. With a surface area of less than 4,500 square
kilometres, it is one of the smallest Regions in Italy. It’s economy is based
on an agri-alimentary sector that has managed to preserve its traditions even
during a recent phase of industrial development thanks, above all, to the
quality of the grain, milk, oil and wine it produces.
History
Archaeological
remains speak of ancient times: prehistoric and proto-historic villages, the
rise of the Samnites, who settled here around the 7th century BC, the wars
against the Romans, the fortified castles of the Middle Ages, the Barbarian
invasions that changed the culture and landscape of the ancient Roman Samnius. With
the Norman conquest Samnius became Molise. The Region's name derives from the
de Moulins family: Rodulfus de Moulins snatched Boiano and Venafro from the
Lombards and became lord of a territory with ancient Samnius and new Molise at
its heart. The Samnites arrived in this part of the peninsula on the wave of
the vast migratory flow caused by the decline of the Etruscans' power, and
established their religious centre, the symbol of tribal unity, on the heights
of Pietrabbondante. They defended themselves against the Romans during the
Samnitic Wars (243-290 BC) along the Apennines, at the end of which they fell
under Roman dominion. Periods of war and peace alternated over the centuries
leaving deep marks that survive in the architecture from the Romanesque,
Gothic, Renaissance and Rococo periods.
Mountains
The Matese is one of the most ancient
European mountains, preserved in time as 70 millions of years ago, and there is
a spring of water which is collected today and sold as "Sepinia" in
the area called presently "Tre Fontane". Not very far from the
spring, the most intact dinosaur in Italy was found. The prehistoric site
called Terravecchia was the refuge of the first shepherds, who during the
Bronze Age climbed to drink from the springs in the Matese. Matese is one of
the most important groups the Apennines, the Region's highest mountain being
Monte Miletto (2050m) not to be missed are the climb up this mountain. To the
west a rocky barrier rises up brusquely with vertical walls: Le Mainarde,
scattered with villages, beech woods and forests of silver fir, such as the
Montedimezzo and Collemeluccio forests, which have been declared Biosphere
Reserves by UNESCO. In some municipalities, and also in the Abruzzo National
Park, it is possible to catch sight of wildlife in its natural habitat. For
example, in Pizzone, you can see the brown bear, and there is no lack of
charming settings such as the upland plain of Valle Fiorita and the basin of
Montenero Val Cocchiera, where wild horses graze.
Historical Itineraries
A place not to be missed is Sepino, the
archaeological area which takes you to the village of Altilia. The site of Saepinum is at the crossroad of two
important, ancient trails: the north-south trail along the Tammaro Valley used
long before the presence of the Romans as the path for seasonal migration of
shepherds and livestock into Apulia and Campania, and the east-west path
leading through the mountains to the Adriatic Sea. Since prehistory there was a
settlement in this fertile plain created by the Tammaro River where the local
population traded with migrating shepherds. In the Iron Age a citadel of
Samnites supervised over this trading activity: the citadel, surrounded by
mighty walls, was called Saepins, and ruins can still be seen on the top of a
hill called Terravecchia (953 mt above sea level).
During the second Samnite War in 293 b.C.
Saepins, "fortissima atcque potentissima" was conquered by consul
Lucius Papirius Cursor. The heroic Samnites went out of the town to fight the
Romans, and 7300 of them died, while 3000 were taken prisoners (as reported by
historian Livius). The few who survived abandoned the citadel and settled in
the plain, where later the new Roman town of Saepinum was to rise.
The Roman town flourished during the imperial
period. Recent excavations still in progress have brought to light the remains
of private buildings, a fairly large theatre, a basilica, the forum, the
"Griffon Fountain", two mausoleums, baths, and long stretches of
boundary walls with four gates.
In the 1st century AD Saepinum was one of the 35
Roman municipia in Italy, and economic development started under Augustus who
granted of parcels of land throughout Italy to veterans returning from foreign
wars, and also Saepinum saw new landowners just outside the city-walls.
In the 5th century it also became a bishopry,
then after the Lombard invasions took the name of Altilia. In the 9th century
was raided by the Saracens, and at that time the inhabitants moved to a higher
position, where the present Sepino is still situated.
Another pleasant visit is to Isernia Trivento, the ancient Samnitic
fortress, and then on to Termoli, the most important seaside resort on the
Molise coast where boats leave for the Tremiti Islands.
Another itinerary takes in Venafro, and on to the Benedictine monastery of S.
Vincenzo al Volturno. It then skirts the artifical lake of Castel S. Vincenzo
and up to one of the loftiest municipalities in Italy, Capracotta (1,416m),
between Monte Campo and Monte Capraro.
Finally, you can come upon the traces left by Homo Aeserniensis and his
prehistoric camp dating back around 700,000 years - the most ancient settlement
in Europe.
Altilia: The site
Along the fast lane connecting Isernia to
Campobasso, after passing Isernia there is an exit named "Sepino",
that will lead to a town rich of thousands of years of history. Before reaching
the present-day town, there is a turning to the right (north-west direction) to
"Altilia" which must be followed for about 2 miles. Altilia is a
village rising amid the ruins of Saepinum, one of the most extraordinary
archeological sites of central Italy, a Roman town where excavations began in
the early 1950's. Sepino rises at the foot of the Matese Massif, there the
Samnite citadel of Saepins was built. As the water became the most important
element of Saepinum/Altilia, the town was filled of hydraulic plumbings,
aqueducts and mills, and magnificent spas. The town developed when rich Roman
imperial families came to enjoy the healthy water.
The architecture of Roman Saepinum
The Roman Saepinum was diamond-shaped, with each
side of 320 mt, and divided into four quarters by two main roads, the Cardum
Maximum and the Decumanum, that intersected in the center of the town, where
the forum, basilica and market were situated. The Cardum Decumanum was the
ancient shepherds tracks still existing at the time of the Samnite Saepins. The
area is 12 square hectares, circled by a wall of about 1200 meters, which
originally included 27 towers. Entrance was through four gates - three of them
are still standing - each sided by two towers.
Inside the wall at the north gate are remnants
of thermal baths. Along both axes of the town, remnants of stone walls have
been restored to show where the original residences and shops stood. The
'industrial' section of town consisted of structures where wool and hides were
prepared. Also, there is a theater that could accomodate 3,000 spectators. Next
to the theater, 17th century farmhouses have been restored and serve as a
museum. Outside the walls are the ruins of two large funeral monuments. The
tomb on the north side is square and bears clear Greek ornamentation. The tomb
at the south gate is round and typical of the age of Augustus. One of the two
towers guarding the South Gate actually served as a cistern, gravity-feeding
water to the entire town, which is on a slight downward slope to the north.
Latin inscriptions on the gates and buildings abound, telling which wealthy
family donated this and that structure.
The Forum of Saepinum stands where the town's
two main roads met, that is the Decumanus and the Cardum Maximum, both built in
pre-Roman times. The forum was the major public area in every Roman town, and
it was here that trade and commerce were conducted alongside political and
administrative business as well. Saepinum's forum was a huge irregular rectangular
space covering an are of 1400 square meters, for centuries it remained covered
in earth and was floored with rectangular slabs of stone only in the Augustan
age, when a gutter was built in as well to allow rainwater to drain away from
the forum. As in other Roman towns, the Forum of Saepinum was surrounded by
inportant public buildings, rather than private houses: the South-east side of
the forum has only been partly excavated, while on the opposite site have been
found several chambers, probably used as meeting places for priests or as the
seat of the town's Senate. Near the forum there is a temple possibly dedicated
to the Capitoline trio of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva and on the far side the so
called baths of Silvanus. On one of the short sides stand another place of
worship and a public fountain, along with other less important buildings.
The north-west side of the forum is closed in by
the Basilica, one of whose sides faces onto the forum area. The Basilica
measures aboiut 30 per 20 meters and dates back to the mid-4th century AD. It
served as an administrative office and Hall of justice. The peristilium stands
above a low podium: there are 8 ionic columns on each long side and 4 columns
on each of the short sides, delimiting the confines of the basilica area
itself. The columns and their ionic capitals were originally more than 6 mt
tall. The facade overlooking the forum had three entrances as did the other
facade looking onto the decumanum, The 20 elegant columns are supported by numerous
fragments of remains from buildings of earlier eras.
Pietrabbondante
Pietrabbondante's earliest known
inhabitants were the Samnites, who arrived in Pietrabbondante in the 6th
century BC. Many historians believe that it was home of the Assemblies of the
Federal Government of the Samnites. The Samnite town stretched for just over
six hundred meters; nevertheless, the area remains rich in archaeological
material.
The
theater-temple complex is located on the outskirts of Pietrabbondante about 966
meters above sea level, next to another small temple with arcaded shops from a
previous era (200 BC). To build it, the Samnites got two terraces along the
side of the mountain, but at different levels on a single axis. The top two
buildings housed the temple and side porches. The overall size of the area is
55 x 90 meters. The theater consists of two elements: the auditorium and the
building stage, which two stone arches link together. The auditorium could
contain 2500 spectators and has good acoustics. The seats were made of stone.
Each stone seat is from a single stone block and the dorsal elegantly thrown
backwards; at both ends of each row listed a sign that reserved three rows for
judges, priests, and so on. On both sides of the orchestra, retaining walls of
the embankment end with atlases carved in stone (like the Odeon of Pompeii,
however, the material is made of soft tuff). The entire embankment is supported
by a large semicircular and polygonal blocks processed by cutting without
regular contours.
Gastronomy
Molise is the
primary producer of white truffles in Europe and its flourishing cheese
industry provides dairy products sold in all the large Italian cities. Its
various "Soppressate" are the pride of local tradition, followed by
naturally cured pork salami. Among the many popular festivals, recalling
Molise's traditions for centuries, are the "ndocciata" torch-lit
processions in Agnone, the cart races in S. Martino in Pensilis and Ururi and
the Mysteries of Campobasso. Scapoli is the only village where the
"zampogna", the classical shepherd's instrument, is still produced.
The Region has an ancient tradition of silver and goldsmithing especially in
Campobasso and Agnone. Famous also are
the steelworks of Campobasso and Frosolone.
on, where the present Sepino is still situated.
Another pleasant visit is to Isernia Trivento, the ancient Samnitic
fortress, and then on to Termoli, the most important seaside resort on the
Molise coast where boats leave for the Tremiti Islands.
Another itinerary takes in Venafro, and on to the Benedictine monastery of S.
Vincenzo al Volturno. It then skirts the artifical lake of Castel S. Vincenzo
and up to one of the loftiest municipalities in Italy, Capracotta (1,416m),
between Monte Campo and Monte Capraro.
Finally, you can come upon the traces left by Homo Aeserniensis and his
prehistoric camp dating back around 700,000 years - the most ancient settlement
in Europe.
