April 18th was World Heritage Day, or as it’s officially called: International Day For Monuments and Sites. The theme this year was Shared Cultures, Shared Heritage, Shared Responsibility. But for some unknown reason, whenever I searched for the theme without explicitly writing the year 2020, it gave me the 2019 theme: Rural Landscapes.
This simple combination of two words brought me back to a sunburned summer spent during a hot summer on a patch of forgotten ground in Italy. The Italians themselves joke that Molise doesn’t exist, meaning we - the young archaeologists in training - were looking for the remains of a people who disappeared in history, in a place outside that simply wasn’t there. We were out of space and time, in a dimension our own to explore as if we were discovering a hidden society. Because Molise might seem like a uninteresting patch of ground in the middle of Italy, a mountainous area filled with acres after acres of farmland, it is what lies under all that that should be attracting the attention.
Donning a cowboy hat, to protect my head and neck from the scorching sun hanging overhead, I had my first look around the partly excavated Samnite temple of San Giovanni in Galdo. The drive here from our convent in Jelsi had taken us around 30 minutes. The sun was just rising above the hills, the chill of the night still looming over this archaeological dig. It is a small site, apart from the temple platform there is nothing left to see of what was once a place of importance to a town that was smashed to bits after the Third Samnite War, but it is a good start to get a feel and vibe of Molise’s history. This is where the Samnites lived, where they united three times during their wars against the mighty Romans. They won two of those clashes, the second one in a very humiliating way when the Samnites simply locked the Roman troops in a valley that would become known as the Caudine Forks (only after unconditional surrendering where the soldiers allowed to leave the blocked off valley), but lost the third one after which the civilization was wiped away by Roman dictator Lucius Sulla. He didn’t destroy all though, leaving just enough for wonderful day trips where towns, nature, and history can be combined while you discover this forgotten part of the Italian boot.
Let’s take a couple of days. You’ve landed in Rome, but are eager to see all of Italy. For most this means the north and the south, maybe the east or west coast, but the rest… According to the Italians, you can skip it. It simply doesn’t exist. It’s just Molise.
But skipping it would be a waste. Give this provice two days, just two days and it will win you over and conquer your heart. And here is how to spend those days to take it all in.
It’s over two hours driving to reach Isernia from Rome. Partly over highways but also a large part through mountainous areas where roads are smaller and the view nicer. The town itself isn’t big, but it’s a good starting place for a wonderful historic day trip. The route is Pietrabbondante, Castelromano, Isernia.
Pietrabbondante is the largest and most well known Samnite site in the world. The sacred complex is of huge importance not only because of its size (which is enormous especially considering that the Samnites did not build cities like the Romans or Greeks, but lived in small rural towns), but mostly because it was the first site that taught archaeologists there was something like the Samnite peoples. Stroll around the large amphitheater and enjoy the overview one has of the area from the platform of what is believed to have been a great temple, before wandering around the complex while feeling a bit like Indiana Jones yourself as you and many archaeologists wonder what people might have done here in the millennia before modern times.
After the visit to the temple complex, which I will always recommend to do first if you visit Molise in summer as the place is completely out in the open and you will get roasted in the afternoon, it is time to visit some real Samnitic history. And it won’t get more real than the rural outskirts of the small town of Castelromano, and its mountain Monte La Romana. The top of this hill once located a Samnitic fort, of which several walls are still to be seen alongside several locations on the mountain. But you got to search for them, La Romana does not give up its treasures easily and the hike can be a bit rough as you will have to find your way through dense woods with no paths except those left by archaeologists. Are you wondering how a field intership would take place here? Well, I made a little text-based game on that experience (it involves some falling down the mountain…). There are plenty of spaces to enjoy your lunch like while sitting on the hill top, just under the ancient polygonal wall, enjoying the silence and quietness, wild boars still roam the region although they’ve become a bit of a rare sight, and squirrels and birds chipper overhead.
After you’ve done all that, you deserve a break. Head back to Isernia, one of the larger towns in Molise, abundant in small shops as well as little restaurants and cafés. It’s also the home to the Archeologico e Monumentale Cattedrale di Isernia. Don’t let my earlier writings fool you: Isernia has nothing to do with the Samnites. Build as a Roman colony, it will show you nothing of the earlier inhabitants of the region, but this site is still worth visiting because as the name suggests: the archaeological site is in perfect harmony with the church standing on top of it. It’s a cooling down at the end of the day, and can be ended among one of the restaurants or cafes of the town.
That was day one, you will have stiff legs from that walk up and down La Romana, but no time to sit still. Get in that car to drive to Campobasso, Sepino, Frosolone.
A little under an hour drive from Isernia (almost three hours from Rome), depending on your love for speed, Campobasso is the capitol of Molise. It is also the home of the Museo Sannitico in Campobasso. A treasure grove of Samnitic remains, the museum is small enough not to overwhelm you and yet big enough to entertain you for an hour or two. So the perfect size to slowly start the day and give your muscles a bit of a warming up. The museum has a large selection of finds discovered in several archaeological digs, a large part coming from the site of Sepino.
Sepino, and more importantly the site Saepinum is a very well preserved Roman archaeological town. The town has been build on remnants left by the Samnites. As the Romans eventually conquered Samnium, destroying almost every town in their path, they spared some by building their own cities on the ruins. Most of those became military towns and were of strategic importance as to prevent the Samnites from returning and rebelling again. Saepinum was one of them and the town has been preserved in quite good conditions.
As for communities and towns to visit, there are plenty that have Samnite roots even though its fairly hard to still see those as the towns have been build en rebuild over the generations. One of those is the small village of Frosolone, which can be reached over a very winding road that is not enjoyable for anyone who gets carsick easily. However, if you can stomach the ride it is worth it to visit. Filled with small streets and the easy going atmosphere of the Mediterranean, Frosolone is best known for its history on producing blades in all shapes and sizes. It is simply impossible to visit the city and not walk out with one of its signature olive wood-handled pocket knives.The town also still sports some of its historic remains, in the form of the cyclopean/polygonal walls - a style used by the Mycenaean people, and by the Samnites -. In the local supermarket you can buy some ingredients for a sandwich, cut with your brand new knife, or you can visit one of the local trattoria before heading back to either Campobasso or Isernia. If it is a smaller town you seek to find a quiet place to sleep, Jelsi can also be highly recommended. Or even smaller, Castelpetroso.
So now the question is, was two days in Molise enough and will they never see you again? Or will you be back for more hiking, more discovering, and more history?
