Civitacampomarano (CB), il Castello Angioino

2018

Il castello è il principale monumento della città. Si erge nella parte centrale del paese su un crinale di arenaria, fra i torrenti Mordale, che attraversa la Cavatella, e il Vallone Grande, uno degli affluenti del fiume Biferno. Si sostituì ad una più antica torre di avvistamento, databile probabilmente intorno alla seconda metà del XII secolo e di cui si può ancora vedere il perimetro, messo in evidenza durante gli imponenti lavori di restauro della fine del secolo scorso. L'impianto così come lo vediamo oggi, invece, secondo gli studiosi dovrebbe risalire al XIII secolo, presentando l'edificio degli elementi architettonici tipici dell'epoca, sotto la dominazione angioina. Originariamente di fronte ad esso era posta la chiesa madre, crollata nel 1903 a seguito di uno sfaldamento del costone sul quale si ergeva. Di essa ora resta visibile solo il basamento, mentre il campanile è intatto e funzionante ed è provvisto anche di un orologio i cui rintocchi risuonano ogni quarto d'ora.

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Venafro (Venafrum in latino, Venafrë in dialetto locale) è un comune italiano di 11 226 abitanti della provincia di Isernia, in Molise. È la quarta città della regione per popolazione. Ha origini molto antiche, risalenti al popolo italico dei Sanniti, dove nel III secolo a.C. combatterono aspramente contro Roma durante le guerre sannitiche. Nell'89 a.C. Venafrum fu teatro di uno scontro decisivo contro Roma dove guerreggiò il gruppo dei popoli della "Lega italica", nella cosiddetta "Guerra sociale". Nel Medioevo, fu invasa dai Longobardi, e divenne dal VI secolo sede di una diocesi, nonché importante centro di passaggio da Molise e Abruzzo per Napoli. Dal XV secolo fu di proprietà della famiglia Pandone, che contribuì alla ripresa economica del centro. Nel 1860 ospitò anche Vittorio Emanuele II in viaggio per l'incontro con Giuseppe Garibaldi. Il centro storico si presenta sotto aspetto di borgo fortificato lungo la scarpata della montagna, distante dall'antico centro romano, identificato nella zona dell'anfiteatro. Il punto più alto del borgo è il Castello Pandone, mentre la Cattedrale, seguendo lo schema delle antiche città normanno-longobarde, si trova fuori le mura. L'assetto urbanistico è molto preciso, scandito da cardo e decumano, e risente dell'influsso architettonico del barocco napoletano. Presso il centro si trovano altri due monumenti importanti: il cimitero militarefrancese di guerra, e il convento di San Nicandro, divenuto santuario già ai tempi della visita di Padre Pio nei primi anni del '900, necessitando di cure mediche per le sue malattie.

S. Angelo in Grotte. The Church of St. Michael the A.

Macchia d'Isernia. Baronial castle D'Alena. View

Baronial castle of Alena: the castle occupies a substantial portion of the ancient circular village. It was built around 1100 by Clementina, daughter of Roger II Norman, king of Sicily, when the feud was part of the county of Ugone del Molise. The garrison passed into the hands of the Anjou, the Afflitto and the Rotondi barons. In 1480 it was restored in Renaissance style as a patrician residence, purchased by Giovanni Donato della Marra, who was count of Macchia. In 1748 the castle was sold to Maria Grazia Rotondi, then given to Nicola d'Alena. Celeste d'Alena was baroness of Macchia, married to the Frisaris, counts of Bisceglie and patricians of Castel San Vincenzo. The façade of the building dominates the square in front of the village, embellished by a Renaissance loggia with round arches. The first part of this loggia dates back to the Aragonese era, with a roof resting on 5 small arches. The rest of the castle is spread over 3 levels, of which the highest is the attic. In the internal courtyard, the beautiful Renaissance staircase with the colonnade stands out, which leads to the main floors. On the ground floor there are cellars, stables and servants' rooms. The upper floor was the residence of the nobles, with various rooms, including the private chapel with various relics. In 1984 the castle was extensively restored, being brought back to its eighteenth-century splendour.

Molise, Italy. Glimpses of summer

Molise is an Italian mountainous region with a stretch of coast overlooking the Adriatic Sea. It includes a part of the Abruzzo National Park in the Apennine mountain range, with a rich wildlife.

Castelpetroso. Sanctuary of the Madonna Addolorata.

The basilica sanctuary of Maria Santissima Addolorata, or simply the Addolorata basilica is an important Catholic place of worship located in the municipality of Castelpetroso, in the province of Isernia, and belonging to the archdiocese of Campobasso-Boiano. According to the testimony of the visionaries, the Virgin Mary appeared for the first time on March 22, 1888 to two shepherdesses named Serafina and Bibiana in the locality of Cesa tra Santi, on the slopes of Mount Patalecchia. This first apparition was followed by others and, following the recognition of this phenomenon, Pope Paul VI proclaimed Maria Santissima Addolorata of Castelpetroso patroness of Molise on 6 December 1973. In the 1890s, it was decided to build a sanctuary near the place of the apparitions, but further downstream from this, so that it would be more easily accessible by pilgrims. The project was entrusted to Giuseppe Gualandi, whose death (1944) was succeeded by his son Francesco. On 28 September 1890 the first stone was laid and construction of the sanctuary began. It proceeded slowly due to economic problems and the two world wars: in 1907 the chapel of the Poles was finished and opened for worship, but the perimeter walls of the church were completed only in 1950 [2], thanks to donations from don Nicolino Passarelli, canon theologian of the cathedral of Venafro, lawyer of the Sacra Rota and professor. In the following decades the sanctuary was completed and consecrated on 21 September 1975 by the bishop of Boiano-Campobasso Alberto Carinci.

Isernia. Convent of S. Spirito

Isernia. Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle 26.04.25

Autumnal landscape of Molise

Capracotta, winter 2022

Capracotta is an Italian town of 833 inhabitants in the province of Isernia, in Molise. It suffered great destruction during the Second World War and from the second half of the twentieth century it developed on the tourist level as a Molise ski resort together with Campitello Matese. Located at 1,421 meters above sea level, it is, from a geographical point of view, one of the highest areas of the Apennines as well as being the highest municipality in Molise. The town is located on the parallel 41 ½ and on the meridian of Castel dell'Ovo and extends between the countryside of Pescopennataro and Sant'Angelo del Pesco to the north, that of Agnone to the east, of Vastogirardi to the south and S. Pietro Avellana and Castel del Giudice. The highest point in the municipal area is the summit of Monte Campo at 1746 m a.s.l. Downstream of the town, towards the south, are the sources of the Verrino, a tributary of the river Trigno. Just outside the town, on the road to Pescopennataro, is the "Garden of Apennine Flora", a high altitude botanical garden that collects notable floral and tree species from central and southern Italy. Capracotta is an important climatic and ski resort. It has two important facilities: one for alpine skiing, in Monte Capraro, with a chairlift; the other for cross-country skiing in Prato Gentile: the latter facility was the site of the Absolute Italian Cross-Country Skiing Championships in 1997.

Macchia d’Isernia. Church of San Nicola di Bari.

The church is located in the center of the village and dates back to the 14th century. it was restored in 1780, and dedicated to San Nicola di Bari in homage to Nicola d'Alena.

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