Travel To Molise

It is one of the smallest Italian regions, just slightly larger than Valle d’Aosta, and it is also the youngest one since it was established only in 1963, when the region “Abruzzi e Molise” was split into two regions.

The regional capital is Campobasso, a centre of medieval origin,which was part of the Lombard Duchy of Benevento and between the 11th and 17th centuries, shared the fortunes of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, until it was united with the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. The city was built round a hill with the Castello Monforte on its crest. In the oldest part of the town, are the splendid sixteenth century church of Sant’Antonio Abate and the Romanesque churches of San Giorgio and San Bartolomeo. Other regional centres are Isernia, Termoli and Agnone.

The region’s economy relies heavily on agriculture and livestock breeding, and is renown for the quality of the grain, milk, oil and wine it produces. Industry is concentrated in the districts of Isernia, Campobasso and Termoli. The region has an ancient tradition of silver and goldsmithing especially in Campobasso and Agnone. The world famous ‘Pontificia fonderia Marinelli’, is still active in Agnone, and passes down the centuries-old art of bell casting. Just as famous are the steelworks of Campobasso and Frosolone.

Molise is the primary producer of white truffles in Europe while its flourishing cheese industry provides dairy products sold all over Italy. Amongs the most prominent cheeses are the caciocavallo from Agnone, the pecorino and scamorza while part of the Caciocavallo Silano DOP is in Molise. Its “Soppressate”, which are a kind of pork salami cured naturally, are the pride of local tradition and prosciutto is either salt cured or smoked. In the hills lamb and mutton are also very popular, along with pork for sausages.

Regional dishes include: Abbuoti, envelopes of lamb intestines filled with chopped liver, sweetbreads, hardboiled egg and baked; Baccalá alla cantalupese, salt cod cooked with peppers, capers, black olives, grapes, garlic; Pezzata: ewe stewed with tomato, onion, rosemary and hot peppers; Polenta maritata: slices of cornmeal fried in oil with garlic, layered with a filling of red beans and peperoncini and baked in the oven, a specialty of Isernia; Zuppa di ortiche: soup of early spring nettle sprouts cooked with tomato and bacon.

There are just three DOC wines produced in Molise — the Biferno, Molise and Pentro.