Molise

Attractions of Molise

Campobasso

Who is in Campobasso should visit the Castello Monforte, built in 1450 by Nicholas II Monforte, on pre-existing ruins of Lombard origin.

The castle, quadrangular in shape, preserves entirely the ancient walls topped by Guelph battlements and stands on the mountain that dominates the city. Can still be seen, today, traces of the drawbridge and side towers placed at defense. The windows, of square shape, are particularly small so that they can be confused with the many loopholes.

The inner castle is very lean; a staircase leads to a panoramic terrace where you can enjoy a wide and impressive view on the remains of the walls of Osco-Samnite origin, the ancient village from the typical fan-shaped design, the city Campobasso and the many surrounding villages.

Beside the castle is the Chiesa della Madonna del Monte (now Santa Maria Maggiore), erected in the eleventh century and rebuilt in 1525. It houses a precious wooden statue of the Virgin Coronation of 1334.

Below the castle, the church of St. George is probably the oldest of Campobasso, built around 1000 on the ruins of a pagan temple.

The Cathedral, or Church of the Holy Trinity, was built in 1504 outside the city walls. Destroyed by an earthquake in 1805, was built in neoclassical style in 1829.

The church of San Bartolomeo is a Romanesque building of the eleventh century, in limestone.

San Leonardo, of the fourteenth century, has a facade that combines Gothic and Romanesque elements, and a mullioned window with decorative plant with clear influences of the architecture of Puglia in the period.

Villa de Capua, recently restored, is a particularly beautiful garden with many statues and a large variety of plants: tall redwoods, majestic cedars of Lebanon, elegant cypress, spruces and fragrant limes.

Isernia

Although the city had been subject of numerous destructions, Isernia preserves a large number of monuments of significant archaeological interest.

The old town still preserves the structure of the ancient Roman city: from street Marcelli, in fact, unfold across several lanes that often results in small but charming squares such as Piazza Trento e Trieste.

The famous Fontana Fraterna, built in the thirteenth century, is the symbol of the city. It is a fine public fountain with six water jets that are inside of a gallery by the unusual shape, built with stones gathered from Roman monuments, of which the city was rich.

The base, formed by large slabs of stone, is decorated with a floral motif with two dolphins; the central part consists of six round arches, that rely on many columns of different shapes, as diverse are the richly decorated capitals. Above it are twelve hanging arches resting on shelves decorated with animaland floral motifs, again all different. Destroyed by aerial bombing on September 10, 1943, it was faithfully rebuilt using the recovered pieces.

The Cathedral of Isernia, dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle, was built over the ruins of an ancient pagan temple of the third century BC and has a neoclassical façade and a plant with three naves, with a pediment supported by four Ionic columns. The current appearance of the cathedral is a result of numerous renovations and restorations, which have made necessary after the numerous earthquakes, and renovation projects for the building.

Inside, of considerable interest is the crypt, the remains of the baptistery of the fifth century, the apse of the first Christian basilica and the paving slabs of stone of the ancient Latin temple. Inside are also housed numerous art treasures, including the gilded cage of copper S. Nicander of the fourteenth century, the paintings of Raphael Gioia and Trivisonno, the Silver Cross donated to the city by Pope Celestine V, a wooden statue of the Madonna "de ru père " of 1000.