Molise, Italy

Molise is a region of Central Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly (until 1963) part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise (with Abruzzo) and now a separate entity. The region covers 4,438 sq.km and has a population of about 300,000.

It borders Abruzzo to the north-west, Lazio to the west, Campania to the south, Puglia to the south-east and the Adriatic Sea to the north-east. Some observers have said that the province is de-populated, but for that very reason it has a charm and an authenticity that has been diluted in other parts of Italy. The landscape consists of broad plains sloping towards the Adriatic. As you move inland the terrain features rolling hills. In the north of the province there are the highlands. The farmland is very rich and the province is distinguished by an almost complete absence of fences of any type.

Many of the towns in the interior have been almost abandoned as young people travel to the larger centres to find employment.

There is a particularly rich cluster of communities in the Larino area. These are the characteristic medieval hilltowns formed around a church, or - as in the case of Larino - a massive cathedral.

The province is sometimes described as "impoverished". In fact a high premium was placed by Molise families on education and an unusual percentage of the population have university degrees. In the wave of emigration to the north these highly qualified "migrants" achieved positions of authority in the established firms of the richer provinces.

The province has escaped the worst excesses of mass tourism and even today there are few English-speaking tourists. Tourism tends to be from the south and west and consists of Italian families seeking less crowded beaches and expatriates returning to find their roots.