SAccording to a widespread joke, born on social media, “Molise does not exist”. The media invisibility of the region has protected it from mass tourism, preserving its beauty. Just two hours’ drive from Rome, Molise exists: you discover it in the villages that climb the hills, in the quiet of the ancient churches and archaeological sites, crossing its uncontaminated nature. He has a shy and authentic character. And it has the charm of voids, of silences.
Trip to Molise, what to absolutely see
It may happen that you visit in just a few days its most precious places, such as the Sepino Archaeological Park (Parcosepino.it) where the remains of the Roman age blend romantically with the rural landscape. «A sip of antiquity in a silver glass»: this is how the art historian Cesare Brandi defined the site in Terre d’Italia (Bompiani).
Saepinum“the city on the sheep track”, first Samnite and then Roman, it was built along a stretch of the ancient Tratturo Pescasseroli-Candela, “the shepherds’ highway” traveled with the flocks during seasonal movements (transhumance) from Puglia to the high altitude pastures of Abruzzo, and vice versa.
Walking on the Roman basalt, at the crossroads between Decumanus and Cardo you come across the Forensic Basilica, with columns surmounted by Ionic capitals. Four doors open along the walls facing the paths that lead to the Forum and the thermal complex. And to the small museum inside the eighteenth-century farmhouses that surround the theater auditorium, the most monumental building. The green of the trees among the Roman remains makes the Sepino Archaeological Park unique in terms of landscape.
The colonnade of the Forense Basilica (1st century BC), in the Sepino Archaeological Park, in Molise. (Photo by Guido Rossi).
San Vincenzo al Volturnothe Pompeii of the Middle Ages
An amazing site it is too San Vincenzo al Volturnowhere one of the most important medieval monasteries in Europe stood. The first excavation campaign, between 1980 and 1984, led by the archaeologist Richard Hodges, revealed the remains of the monastic complex which in the Middle Ages exercised its power well beyond the borders of the surrounding territory, thanks to the protection and privileges received from Charlemagne. On 10 October 881 a band of Saracens attacked the abbey, causing death and destruction.
«The archaeological site allows us an immersion in the daily life of a monastic cityas it was in the 8th and 9th centuries at the time of the Carolingian revival. And this is because time stopped here, due to a sudden and traumatic event, like in Pompeii” writes Hodges in his book Pompeii of the Middle Ages. San Vincenzo al Volturno from its origins to the sack of the Saracens (Carracci Editore).
Old photos of Hodges, shirtless in the sun, working on excavations alongside colleagues, dot the archaeological site today. Populated by over 300 monks the Benedictine abbey was a real city, with workshops that worked glass, agricultural land, palaces and churches.
A fresco from the Crypt of Epifanio, in San Vincenzo al Volturno. Photo by Alamy/Ipa.
In the jewel-crypt of Molise
Of unexpected beauty, the tiny Crypt of Epifanio (criptadiepifanio.itwhich can be visited by reservation for a limited number of people). AND decorated by one of the most important fresco cycles of the entire European Early Middle Ages, with Mary on a pearl throne, dressed like a Byzantine empress.
Almost opposite the site, on the opposite bank of the Volturno river, stands the “new” 12th century Abbey. Consecrated in 1115, it preserves the mosaic floor, the fourteenth-century choir and the scenographic Pilgrims’ Portico.
Spring festivals in Molise
Not far away, in Lake of Castel San Vincenzo with turquoise shades, the ephemeral spring blooms are reflected. And if with the May Day in ancient times the goddess Flora was honoured, she who made nature flourish again, in four villages in Molise (Fossalto, Lucito, Acquaviva Collecroce and Colle d’Anchise) the spring festivals are linked to collective rites of pagan origins: a man inside the Pagliaraa tall metal structure covered in flowers and plants, passes through the streets of the villages in procession to the sound of bagpipes, thus celebrating the rebirth of spring and the expectation of a fruitful harvest.
The Portico dei Pellegrini in front of the 12th century Abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno. (Photo by Guido Rossi).
When children “fly” to Campobasso
But it is in Campobasso that the most famous of the traditional Molise festivals continues, that of Corpus Domini, (Sunday 7 June 2026): the Procession of the Mysteries. Parading through the streets of the historic center are the thirteen Mysteries, the “wits” created in the mid-1700s by the sculptor Di Zinno.
The lunette above the portal of the Romanesque Church of San Bartolomeo, in Campobasso. (Photo by Guido Rossi).
During the procession the wits are carried by 280 Campobassani. Pprotagonists 57 children who, dressed as little angels, but also as saints and devils, are harnessed high up, in safety, on the iron structures and as the mysteries proceed, they seem to fly.
The “machines” or “wits” can be admired up close at the Museo del Misteri (via Trento 3, Campobasso): they are up to six meters high and weigh half a ton. The most beautiful walk in Campobasso starts from above, from the Castle, and goes down the cobbled staircase that leads to the historic center. An opportunity to visit, along the way, the beautiful and intimate Romanesque churcheslike the one dedicated to San Giorgio, the oldest in the city.
Between villages and castles. In the land of bandits
The hills of Molise and the ruins of the Maginulfo Castle. (Photo by Guido Rossi).
Traveling by car, you get around Molise inspired by the road signs that show the way to villages and castles.
Oratino, in the list of the most beautiful villages in Italy, is perched on a limestone cliff in the Biferno valley. Here ancient master craftsmen worked the stone, decorating churches and portals. The stone houses are adorned with flowering plants and sly cats wander along the alleys.
Roccamandolfi, a village on the slopes of the Matese mountains with a history linked to the phenomenon of brigandage, can be crossed in a few minutes. The e-bike tours led by Giancarlo De Gregorio depart from here (instagram.com/giandegre)founder of Life Cycles: a Molise native who chose not to move elsewhere.
Cycling, you arrive under the ruins of the Maginulfo Castle and then cross the Tibetan bridge over the Cappello stream. In a region experiencing constant population loss, fueled both by the low birth rate and by the movement of residents towards large cities, lThe resilience of those who decide to stay also focuses on the artisanal and gastronomic excellences of Molise.
The guide Giancarlo De Gregorio crosses the Tibetan bridge of Roccamandolfi. (Photo by Guido Rossi).
The resilience of Molise artisans and musicians
In addition to large companies, such as the La Molisana pasta factory, based in Campobasso, small producers are making their way. In Roccamandolfi, the brothers Mariangelo and Andrea Martelli of “La Rocca tartufi e conserve” passionately dedicate themselves to searching for black truffles in the woods with their lagotti dogs. Gioia Neri, 33 years old, owner of the Costantini agricultural company in Rocchetta Volturno, is proud of her choice: being a cheesemaker. «At three in the morning I get up to heat the milk for the rennet. And three times a week I prepare cheese, scamorza and fior di latte.”
The craftsman Antonio Muccino, 61 years old, shows his artefacts: precious scissors and cutlery in perforated steel. (Photo by Guido Rossi).
Andrea Santorelli sells gourmet products in his shop “Molise does not exist” in the heart of Campobasso and exhibits the artefacts of Antonio Muccino, 61 years old, perforator, author of precious cutlery and scissors, ready to “teach young people the ancient art of perforated steel”. If depopulation and the loss of talent is the problem in the region, Daniele Romano, 22, is an exception. Graduated in bagpipe at the Conservatory of Campobasso, plays melodies by Maestro Pietro Ricci, who wrote a new repertoire for bagpipes. One of the many facets of Molise’s identity, where tradition meets contemporary professionalism.
Sleep
Antica Dimora La Terrazza via Marconi 133, Campobasso. Charming B&B, with six rooms furnished with vintage touches, in an ancient residence in the historic center. Double room from 80 euros. anticadimoralaterrazza.it
Agriturismo La Ginestra via Galardi 59, Cercemaggiore (Campobasso). Nine rooms in an early 20th century farmhouse and typical dishes of Molise peasant cuisine, based on products from the family farm. Double room from 70 euros with breakfast. laginestra.info
Eat
Olmicello restaurant Via Regina Margherita, 48, Oratino. Traditional dishes prepared with local raw materials. restaurantolmicello.com
La Rocca Truffles and preserves. Around the outdoor tables, under the Roccamandolfi fortress, you can enjoy the truffle-based dishes of the family company which, from harvesting to conservation, opens and closes the entire Molise truffle supply chain. tartufilarocca.it
Agriturismo Costantini via Strada Provinciale 1, Rocchetta a Volturno (Isernia). The strong point of the menu are the appetizers with cured meats and fresh or mature cheeses produced on the farm. agriturismocostantini.com