Alto Molise: the cattle-tracks (tratturi)

Alto Molise has always seen fruitful relationships between its people and those of the neighbouring regions for reasons concerning the sheep farming and the ”transumanza”.
The ancient lines of communication, the cattle-tracks, the local paths, the archaeological sites and the old villages are strewn all over the land forming a complex and homogeneous territorial structure around the biggest towns.
The line of march follows the tracks that from Abruzzo, through the “Basso Molise”, take to Puglia, up to the area called “Capitanata”.
The cattle-tracks are recognizable as large green strips (111 mt.), similar along the whole way and often bounded by signs as crosses and walls.

The cattle-tracks system in Molise:
part of the Castel di Sangro – Lucera track (km 127)

THE TRUFFLE – THE RICHNESS OF THE UNDERGROWTH

Alto Molise is not only the land of beautiful and vast woods, but also a territory rich in precious brushwood products, as mushrooms and truffles. They are perfect for the preparation of excellent recipes especially available in the farm holidays of this part of the region. They are picked, worked and put on the market.

The truffle, especially the black one (Tuber Aestivum Vitt.) or “scorzone”, is largely spread (the white truffle – Tuber Magnatum Pico – is less available) and is one of the most important richness of the village San Pietro Avellana, which belong to the national association “Cities of Truffle”.

Every year, on the second August Sunday, takes place, in San Pietro Avellana, the Black Truffle Festival, an attraction for many tourists and gourmets coming from the neighbouring regions too. The first week in November takes also place the “White Truffle Show”.

THE ‘NDOCCIATA

The ‘Ndocciata (the ‘ndoccia is a big torch made of dried brooms sheaves and white fir wood, three or four metres high) is one of the characteristic feature of the tradition of Agnone. It is a long fire procession along the streets, made of torches carried by one or more bearers, that every year attracts thousands of visitors.

In the evening of the 24th of December, when the Saint Antonio bell rings, the countryside groups (Capammonde e Capabballe, Colle Sente, Guastra, Sant’Onofrio and San Quirico) perpetuate the ancient fire ritual that in every Indo-European pagan culture means the triumph of the light over the darkness. Its religious fervour and its promotional and organizing skills took Agnone to be the centre of the world attention when Pope John Paul II celebrated his 50 years of ministry (he had already been guest on 19th of March, Saint Joseph’s feast).

On 8th of December 1996 a gigantic fire flood, brought by more than 1000 bearers, inflamed the hearths of the people in San Peter’s Square in Rome, burning in a big “Brotherhood Bonfire”.
Lately a Permanent Museum of the ‘Ndocce has been opened in Via Caracciolo, not far from Piazza Plebiscito.

FLAVOURS OF THE PASTORAL CUSTOMS: “LA PEZZATA”

The first week in August a large crowd of people reaches the Prato Gentile plateaux in order to enjoy “La Pezzata” Festival. The “Pezzata” is a typical “transumanza” dish, prepared by the shepherds in the mountains. The recipe is very easy, but it has to be cooked on a low flame, better if in a pot boiling in the open air. Sheep meat, water and spices are the ingredients of such a dish, that has to be eaten stewed and together with some slices of homemade bread.

 

A FAR-WEST CORNER IN “ALTO MOLISE”

On the plateau of Staffoli, standing at 1000 mt. above sea level, near “Tre Termini” roadman’s house (territory of Agnone), takes place every year the “Corsalonga”, a great event organized by the company “Terre Alte”, that leads on the green landscape of Alto Molise horses and cowboys from the legendary American West.

The “Corsalonga” is today considered the main equestrian meeting of Southern and Central Italy and it consists of a variety of sports, performances and culture events where the main characters are horses with their natural wild surroundings of fresh waters, green spaces, woods and pure air.

Staffoli, well-known as farm holidays, as campsite and as an horse-riding centre, is reached every year by thousands of people enjoying the range of horse-races and folk-events. The “Corsalonga” usually takes place on the 2nd week in August and lasts several days.

PIETRABBONDANTE: SANCTUARY AND ITALIC TEMPLE

The Italic theatre-temple complex at Pietrabbondante is not only an admirable model of high-theatre, today used for summer performances, but first of all the greatest Samnite testimony in Molise. The earliest presence of this culture at Pietrabbondante, dating back to 5th century B.C., is attested by the necropolis of ‘Troccola’ which was situated on the slopes of Mount Saraceno. The temple was surrounded by a fortification made of polygonal outer walls, that dates back to the 4th century B.C. and that was restored in the 3rd century B.C., after being destroyed, according to some historians, in 217 B.C. by Hannibal. The complex is considered the first model of indoor theatre, which replaced the outdoor Samnite places of cult, as woods or enclosed fields.

South of temple “A”, was erected with great effort a complex, where, at the end of the 2nd century B.C., was first built the theatre and then the Great Temple, said temple “B” (1st century B.C.). The whole architectural complex follows the Hellenistic style of the neighbouring theatres of Campania.

With the Bourbons began in1840 the first excavations which lasted till 1913 bringing to light the temple “A” and the theatre. At that time the site was also visited and studied by some important scholars of classical antiquities as Mommsen, Friedlander and Maiuri. In 1959 the excavation was carried out by Adriano La Regina, one of the most famous scholars of the Samnite culture and Inspector of the Department of Classical Antiquities for Abruzzo and Molise at that time, whose team discovered the temple “B” and managed the setting of the whole area. In 2001 the Department of Classical Antiquities in Rom, one more time thanks to Adriano La Regina, together with its section in Molise, reopened the work in the site of Calcatelo, in order to recreate

the original theatre structure through the rescue, the enumeration and the reallocation of about 400 local greystone blocks spread through the whole area.