Everywhere here seems to keep an eye over history preserving memories of the past

 
MOLISE

The origins of Molise go back to the Samnite period, when the are was settled and chosen for greater military control of the territory. The Romans conquered the region until their fall and from 146 and for almost a century the area was invaded by the Goths first and the Lombards after when it was annexed to the Duchy of Benevento. In the 16th century Molise was enclosed to the province of Capitanata in Apulia untul 1806 when it became a proper province in the former Abruzzo region.

In 1963 the Molise region was born as it separated definitely from Abruzzo and they became two separate entities independent from each other. Molise is the newest region of Italy.
 
 
CITIES
 
The tiny region of Molise is divided into two provinces: Campobasso and Isernia.  
 
ART AND CULTURE

Campobasso is the regional capital and preserve a lovely historic center with characteristic medieval features dated back to the rule of the powerful Monforte family in the 15th century. If you come here do not forget to visit the Monforte Castle, the Romanesque churches of San Bartolomeo and San Giorgino and the church of Sant Antonino Abate that houses a great collection of carvings and wooden sculptures made the 16th century Molise craftsmen.

Tremoli is instead a small town, but the most important center of the province of Campobasso. Here the ancient walls constructed by Emperor Fredrick the 2nd and the massive 16th century castle are reflected in the sea.

Sepino is famous for its  esplanade and the city together with Pietrabbondante are two important  archaeological sites that recalls and testify  the remote existence of the brave Sannites and the great and powerful Romans. In the province of Isernia the ancient abbey of S. Vincenzo al Volturno with its frescoes and the crypt of San Lorenzo are surely worth a visit. And if you stop in this lovely town do not forget to visit the Isernia Civic Museum that holds Samnitic epigraphs and sculptures  and the Fontana della Fraterna dated back to the 14th century.
 
 
THINGS TO DO
 
Just 6 or 7 miles from the city, rises the Romanesque Santa Maria della Strada, with its fifteenth-century Gothic sepulcher while in Pastena, you can admire the monumental Sanctuary of the Addolorata of Castelpetroso, bounded by a thick wooded area.

If you are a nature lover surely the Matese mountain (on the border with Campania) is for you. The unspoiled beauty of the WWF Nature Reserve in Guardiaregia offers great hints for unforgettable excursions such as the numerous caves that can be found in the heart of the Molise mountains.