Molise

Overview:

MOLISE: Molise, another of Italy’s forgotten, mostly mountainous regions, is relatively isolated and sparsely populated. Until recently there were very few roads here, with just three main arteries cutting across the entire region. Isernia and Campobasso, the two main cities of Molise, are its highlights. Isernia has been severely damaged over the years by earthquakes and bombing and little remains of its history. It does have, however, a museum with relics of the Paleolithic civilization recently discovered here, the most ancient finding in all of Europe to date. There are remote mountaintop villages in the area surrounding Isernia including Capracotta, Agnone, Pietrabbondante, and Scapoli, where the zampogna bagpipes, a local tradition among shepherds, are demonstrated in the yearly fair. The quaint villages of Larino, Ferrazzano, and Garanello surrounding Campobasso are lovely. The Tremiti islands of Molise and can be reached by ferryboat from Termoli or Vasto.