Macchia d'Isernia. Baronial castle D'Alena

2020

The castle occupies a substantial portion of the ancient circular village. It was built around 1100 by Clementina, daughter of Ruggero II Normanno, king of Sicily, when the fiefdom 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 the 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 sold to Nicola d'Alena. Celeste d'Alena was baroness of Macchia, married to the Frisari, 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 period, with a roof resting on 5 small arches. The rest of the castle is spread over 3 levels, the highest of which is the attic. In the inner courtyard the beautiful Renaissance staircase with the colonnade, which leads to the noble floors, stands out. On the ground floor there are the cellars, the stables and the servants' rooms. The upper floor was the home of the nobles, with various rooms, including the private chapel with different relics. In 1984 the castle was fully restored, being brought back to its eighteenth-century splendor.

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Molise, winter 2022

Frosolone con i suoi 3.250 abitanti circa è situato a m 894 sul livello del mare. Visibili da lontano, mentre continuano a girare, come gigantesche girandole lasciate lì chissà da quali bambini stanchi di giocare, i pali del campo prova eolico annunciano che ci stiamo avvicinando a Frosolone e alla sua montagna. E poi i profumi, il verde, l'aria pura e pungente. L'ambiente montano è un sorprendente "mare di verde", uno scrigno prezioso che raccoglie meraviglie dove alberi secolari, stagni e laghetti, cucuzzoli e paesaggi scoscesi, rocce bianche e rifugi, sanno accogliere sapientemente valori paesaggistici (floristici e faunistici) miracolosamente inviolati fino ai nostri giorni. Tutti i mesi dell'anno vanno bene e qualsiasi stagione è buona per visitare la montagna di Frosolone, perché ogni periodo dell'anno è buono per fruire e godere delle sue bellezze. Quassù, su questi monti, anche a più di mille metri sono riusciti a vegetare alberi di faggio e la faggeta di Monte Marchetta e di Colle dell'Orso rappresenta uno dei rari esempi in cui questa specie vegetale è riuscita a convivere felicemente con il clima di queste altitudini. Il più grosso rappresentante vivente è il maestoso faggio del Pedalone, vero e proprio colosso botanico vecchio più di cento anni e alto più di quaranta metri. Proprio in ogni stagione dell'anno, lo spettacolo che offre il Bosco della Grisciata è davvero impareggiabile e ci accompagna fino ai verdi prati e poi alla Valle della Contessa ricoperta di arbusti di uva spina e di siepi di rosa canina.

Poggio Sannita (IS)

Poggio Sannita (Caccavone in dialetto poggese) è un comune italiano di 639 abitanti della provincia di Isernia in Molise.

Castiglione di Carovilli. The Ammond church

Ancient church located on the hill, dating back to the fifteenth century, which today, especially in the summer months, hosts theatrical and classical music events.

Pesche, village in the province of Isernia, in Molise

Pesche, village in the province of Isernia, in Molise, perched along the steep slopes of Mount San Marco, a white spot against the green of the mountain and the gray of the stones.

Pescopennataro. Glimpses of summer

Pescopennataro is an Italian town of 244 inhabitants in the province of Isernia, in Molise. Until 1790 it was an integral part of the Giustizierato d'Abruzzo and of the Abruzzi Citrior.

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Capracotta. Parish Church of S. Maria in Cielo Assunta

It is located on the highest part of the town, in the Terra Vecchia district, and was the seat of the collegiate church. It is not known what the current church was like, which is the result of a total renovation in 1725. The antiquity of the church is testified by a bas-relief of the bell tower, which bears the symbol of the Tree of Life, from the Renaissance period, the adjacent walls, with the portal of the chapel of the Visitation, show holes for the bells. The stone bell tower, with a square plan, has its current appearance, the result of the restoration of 1898. The baptismal font in walnut wood, with gold decorations, restored in 1980, and a stone font can also be attributed to the archaic church. In the 18th century the civic coat of arms was moved to the main altar by the Town Hall, and the church became the symbol of the entire Capracottese community.

Mainarde. Autumn landscape. Foliage

Isernia. The Sanctuary of SS Cosma e Damiano

The Sanctuary of Santi Cosma e Damiano is located at an altitude of 400 meters. Inside, silver busts of the seventeenth century are venerated with the relics of the two saints inside, always inside two small plaster statues depicting the two saints to whom the sanctuary is dedicated. According to tradition, the sanctuary has existed since 1130, the first official document concerning it, however, dates back to 1523. In fact, in 1130 it seems that a chapel was built in this place, but this statement cannot be supported by any documentation that proves its actual presence. on that date. The current sanctuary as we can see it today dates back to the construction of 1523. Inside, the church has a single nave with a coffered ceiling. The presbytery ends with an apse. A beautiful cycle of frescoes depicting the life of Saints Cosma and Damiano of the Neapolitan school adorns the church. The ceiling was instead made by various artisans of Agnone. Inside the sanctuary we also find a collection of ex-votos that include painted tablets, sheets with inscriptions, photographs, anthropomorphic figurines and other objects.

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