A forgotten land of Italy: Molise and its Samnite and Roman past
Today, I’d like to take you on a Covid-safe trip to Italy, specifically to the region where I spent most of my life: Molise. It is a very small territory, so small that the rest of Italy calls it “Molisn’t”. With this short piece, I’d like to show you that Molise IS, and explain why you should consider visiting it on your next road trip to Italy.
Molise was home to the Samnites before the Roman conquest, and this population has left its mark in the geography of the region: the strand of Appennini mountains that pass through there is called Appennino Sannita. If you are interested in discovering more of the Samnites, I suggest you start from the Museo Provinciale Sannitico in Campobasso, which contains Samnite artefacts found throughout the region and gives insights into everyday life, as well as religious and funerary rites. All explanations are in English as well as Italian, so there are lots of opportunities to learn something new, and you definitely won’t get lost.
Pietrabbondante, a small village 30km away from Campobasso, is a fascinating site: a monumental complex of a theatre and a temple, possibly dedicated to Victoria, built on a high slope that looks out to the valley. In the same archaeological area, you’ll also find a Sannite sanctuary. This settlement dates back to the end of the II century BC. It’s perfect for half a day of hiking.
Another Samnite town, which became a Roman colony under Augustus, is Venafrum (close to modern Venafro). In his commentary to the Aeneid, Servius states that Venafrum was founded by Diomedes (XI 246), however its name is definitely Samnite, and there are no Greek remainings. Here, you can visit the Museo Archeologico, which vaunts the biggest collection of Roman and Medieval artefacts in the region and preserves a beautiful sculpture of Venus from the II century AD. The location itself is quite suggestive, since the museum is part of the XVI century monastery of Santa Chiara. In the town centre you’ll be able to see the elliptical shape of a Roman amphitheatre, as well as the remainings of a theatre of considerable dimensions. Last December, thanks to some maintenance work, a Roman villa was unearthed, possibly dating back to the I century AD.
If you come to Molise, you cannot go away without visiting Saepinum, a very well preserved Roman provincial town. There, you can see the typical cardo and decumanus, and three of the four portals are still standing. The Forum is well preserved, as are the Curia, the Capitolinum and the Basilica. You can also see the marketplace (“Macellum”), and the remainings of the thermae. The best-preserved building is the theatre, which must have hosted around 3,000 people.
Finally, if you want to visit the coast without losing the Roman theme, I suggest going to Vasto: it had a small Roman harbour that is now underwater, so you can visit it and have a swim (nothing as impressive as Baia in Campania, I must admit!). You’ll also find Roman thermae at the Parco Archeologico delle Terme Romane di Histonium, but unfortunately it is temporarily closed.
So, I hope this small guide has convinced you to add Molise to the list of places to visit post-Covid emergency. Here are some non-Roman extras: the Museo Nationale del Paleolitico in Isernia, which is one of the most important centres in the study of prehistory; the majestic Basilica of Castelpetroso, built in Neo-Gothic style at the end of the XIX century.
What is your favourite (Classics-related) place? Let us know by sending a short piece to classics.society@durham.ac.uk
