Poggio Sannita (IS)

Cerro al Volturno (Cièrrë in Molise) is an Italian town of 1 194 inhabitants in the province of Isernia in Molise, about 20 km from the border with Abruzzo. The municipality is also simply called Cerro because of its territory rich in oak woods, among which the Cerro, Quercus cerris, stands out. The Cerrese territory is on the border with the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. The climate is mainly of the Apennine type: cool and rainy autumn, cold and snowy winter and mild summer. The town was founded by the Samnites (III century BC), of which fortifications remain at Mount Santa Croce. In medieval times the hill of the present village was colonized by peasants (9th century), since the fiefdom depended on the nearby Abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno. The origin of the community itself is linked to the influence of the abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno, one of the oldest Benedictine monasteries in the Kingdom of Naples and in the land of San Pietro, together with Montecassino and Farfa. Cerro already existed since 899, as evidenced in the Chrnicon Vulturnense, when Roffredo, abbot of San Vincenzo led the first peasant colony to cultivate the lands in the place of Cerrum, from the name of the oak trees. The 11th century Norman castle was later owned by the Filangieri, Borrello and Cantelmo di Popoli family, until the 15th century, when it passed to the Pandone family, who renovated it extensively. In the following centuries the feud belonged to various families, including the Carafa. In 1811 the village passed to the territory of Benevento, and only in 1861 was it included again in Molise, first linked to the territory of Piedimonte Matese, and then to the area of Castellone Volturno, i.e. Castel San Vincenzo. Since 1970 it has been part of the province of Isernia.

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.

The church has two naves and a rectangular plan, the perimeter wall is made of stone and is plastered. The entrance to the church is from an external staircase that leads to a loggia.

Agnone (Agnèune in dialetto locale) è un comune italiano di 4 957 abitanti della provincia di Isernia in Molise. Fino al 1811, per circa 600 anni, Agnone e il suo circondario sono sempre stati parte integrante del Giustizierato d'Abruzzo e dell'Abruzzo Citra, nel distretto di Lanciano. Antica città sannita, è sede del più antico stabilimento al mondo per la fabbricazione delle campane (Pontificia fonderia di campane Marinelli), fondato intorno all'anno 1000 e tra i pochi che possano fregiarsi dell'onore di utilizzare per i propri prodotti lo stemma pontificio. Agnone è una cittadina di circa 5000 abitanti ubicata nell'Alto Molise. Si trova a 830 m di altitudine sul livello del mare, circondato da un paesaggio montuoso rivestito da boschi e praterie.

The ancient parish church of Guardialfiera, whose origins date back to the 11th century, is located at the top of the town. Romanesque and Gothic elements adorn the external walls

Founded by the Longobards, it has maintained the old appearance of a small chapel with a single nave. The portal retains its 12th century appearance with a simple arch and lunette.