Molise

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For other uses, see Molise (disambiguation).
Molise
Region of Italy
Flag of Molise
Flag		Coat of arms of Molise
Coat of arms
Molise in Italy.svg
CountryItaly
CapitalCampobasso
Government
 • PresidentDonato Toma (FI)
Area
 • Total4,438 km2 (1,714 sq mi)
Population
(01-01-2015)
 • Total313,348
 • Density71/km2 (180/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Molisan(s) / Molisano / Molisani
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
GDP/ Nominal€6.5[1] billion (2008)
GDP per capita€20,100[2] (2008)
NUTS RegionITF
Websitewww.regione.molise.it

Coordinates: 41°41′59″N 14°36′40″E / 41.6997°N 14.6111°E / 41.6997; 14.6111

Molise (pronounced [moˈliːze]) is a region of Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise, alongside the region of Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effective until 1970, makes Molise the youngest region in Italy. The region covers 4,438 square kilometres (1,714 sq mi) (the Aosta Valley is the only smaller region) and has a population of 313,348 (as of 1 January 2015)

The region is split into two provinces, named after their respective capitals Campobasso and Isernia. Campobasso also serves as the regional capital.

Geography[edit]

Molise is bordered by Abruzzo to the north, Apulia to the east, Lazio to the west, and Campania to the south. It has 35 kilometres (22 miles) of sandy coastline to the northeast, lying on the Adriatic Sea looking out towards the Tremiti islands. The countryside of Molise is mostly mountainous, with 55% covered by mountains and most of the rest by hills that go down to the sea.

Main sights and monuments[edit]

Campobasso[edit]

Monforte Castle (Campobasso)
  • Castello Monforte
  • Terzano Tower
  • Campobasso Cathedral (Santissima Trinità)
  • Church of Sant'Antonio
  • Church of San Bartolomeo
  • Church of San Giorgio
  • Savoia Theater
  • San Giorgio Palace (Head of municipality)
  • Provincial Museum of "Sanniti"

Isernia[edit]

Altilia (Sepino)
  • Isernia Cathedral (San Pietro)
  • Fountain Fraterna
  • Monumental complex and museum of Santa Maria delle Monache Abbey
  • Sanctuary of Santi Cosma e Damiano
  • Archeological site Isernia La Pineta
  • Museum of Paleolithic in the site of La Pineta

Termoli[edit]

Province of Campobasso[edit]

Isernia collage
Venafro castle

Province of Isernia[edit]

Economy[edit]

Castle of Termoli
Campobasso's Cathedral

Agriculture, involving small and micro holdings, is currently offering high-quality products. The agricultural holdings produce wine, cereals, olive oil, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Traditional products are Grass Pea (cicerchia) and Farro. Molise's autochthonous grape is Tintilia which has been rediscovered during the last ten years, and many other PDO (DOP) wines, both red and white.

Though there is a large Fiat plant (Termoli), the industrial sector is dominated by the farming industry with small and medium-sized farms spread widely throughout the region. Another important industry is food processing: pasta, meat, milk products, oil and wine are the traditional products of the region. In the services sector the most important industries are distribution, hotels and catering, followed by transport and communications, banking and insurance. With few exceptions, in all sectors firms are small, and this explains the difficulties encountered when marketing products on a national scale.[3]

International tourism is growing largely as a result of the recent opening of international flights from other European countries to Pescara Airport, which is not far to the north in Abruzzo and connected to Molise by the A14 highway (the only highway passing through Molise, by Termoli). The tourists are attracted by large expanses of unspoilt beaches, a relative lack of congestion, and the gentle pace of life.

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1861 355,000—    
1871 374,000+5.4%
1881 382,000+2.1%
1901 395,000+3.4%
1911 396,000+0.3%
1921 383,000−3.3%
1931 377,000−1.6%
1936 388,000+2.9%
1951 407,000+4.9%
1961 358,000−12.0%
1971 320,000−10.6%
1981 328,000+2.5%
1991 331,000+0.9%
2001 321,000−3.0%
2010 (Est.) 319,000−0.6%
2017 310,449−2.7%
Source: ISTAT 2001

The density of the population in Molise is well below the national average. In 2008, Molise registered 72.3 inhabitants per km2, compared to a national figure of 198.8. The region is subdivided into two provinces: Campobasso and Isernia, which together cover 1.5% of Italy's territory and less than 1% of its population. The larger province in terms of area is Campobasso at 2,909 km2, while the smaller is Isernia at 1,529 km2. The province of Campobasso is the more densely populated of the two provinces, with 79.4 inhabitants per km2, whereas Isernia registered 58.9 inhabitants per km2.[4] At the end of 2008 the most populous towns were Campobasso (51,247 inhabitants), Termoli (32,420) and Isernia (21,811).

In the period 1951-71, large-scale emigration to other countries of the European Union, to other parts of Italy and overseas led to a significant decline in the population of Molise. Negative net migration persisted until 1981. Large-scale emigration has caused many of the smaller towns and villages to lose over 60% of their population, while only a small number of larger towns have recorded significant gains. From 1982 to 1994, net migration has been positive, then followed by a negative trend until 2001. Between 1991 (330,900 inhabitants) and 2001 (320,601 inhabitants), the population of the region decreased by 3.1%;[4] since 2001 the population remained stable.

The region is home to two main ethnic minorities: the Molisan Croats (20,000 people who speak an old Dalmatian dialect of the Croatian language alongside Italian), and those who speak the "arbereshe" dialect of Albanian in five towns of "basso Molise" in the province of Campobasso.

Administrative divisions[edit]

Molise comprises two provinces:

Map of region of Molise, Italy, with provinces-it.svg

Province Area (km²) Population Density (inh./km²)
Province of Campobasso 2,909 231,921 79.7
Province of Isernia 1,529 88,931 58.2

Culture[edit]

See also: List of museums in Molise

Molise has much tradition from the religious to the pagans, many museum, archeological sites, musical and food events.

Tradition

  • The Festival dei Misteri in Campobasso (Corpus Domini)
  • Feast of Saint Pardo with ox chariot (cart) in Larino (25-26-27/May)
  • Ox chariots (La Carrese) and feast of Saint Leo in San Martino in Pensilis (30 April and 2 May)
  • The Ndocciata of Agnone (8-24/December)
  • The Saint Basso feast in Termoli with procession of boats on the sea (4 August)
  • "U lut'm sab't d'April" of Santa Croce di Magliano with benediction of animals (Last Saturday of April)
  • Procession of Good Friday in Campobasso
  • The procession of hooded on the Good Friday at Isernia
  • The fire of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Colletorto (17 January)
  • The feast of Saint Nicandro in Venafro (17 June)
  • The ox chariots and feast in the village of Ururi and Portocannone

Arts, musical and food festivals

Museum

Cuisine[edit]

Pasta e fagioli

The cuisine of Molise is similar to the cuisine of Abruzzo, though there are some differences in the dishes and ingredients. The flavors of Molise are dominated by the many aromatic herbs that grow there. Some of the characteristic foods include spicy salami, a variety of locally produced cheeses, dishes using lamb or goat, pasta dishes with hearty sauces, and vegetables that grow in the region.

In addition to bruschetta, a typical antipasto will consist of any of several meat dishes, such as the sausages capocollo, the fennel-seasoned salsiccie al finocchio, soppressata, ventricina, frascateglie or sanguinaccio. In addition to these sausages, a variety of ham is available, such as smoked prosciutto. Frequently, the sausages are enjoyed with polenta.

Main dishes of the region include:

Common second dishes (often meat and vegetable dishes) are:

  • Lamb, the most popular meat, served grilled, roasted, or stewed.
  • Many organ meats of lamb, especially tripe, are popular
  • Coniglio alla molisana, grilled rabbit pieces skewered with sausage and herbs
  • Mazzarelle, tightly wrapped rolls made with lung and tripe of lamb
  • Ragù d' agnello, braised lamb with sweet peppers, a specialty of Isernia
  • Torcinelli, rolled strips of lamb tripe, sweetbreads, and liver
  • Pamparella or pork pancetta dried with peperoncino, soaked in wine and cut into small pieces. Pamparella is used to flavor sauces, in particular the sauce for dressing the tacconi, a rustic pasta made with flour and water.

Typical vegetable dishes may include:

  • Carciofi ripieni, artichokes stuffed with anchovies and capers
  • Peeled sweet peppers stuffed with breadcrumbs, anchovies, parsley, basil and peperoncino, sautéed in a frying pan and cooked with chopped tomatoes
  • Cipollacci con pecorino, fried strong onions and pecorino cheese
  • Frittata con basilico e cipolle, omelette with basil and onions.

Fish dishes include red mullet soup, and spaghetti with cuttlefish. Trout from the Biferno river is notable for its flavor, and is cooked with a simple but tasty sauce of aromatic herbs. Zuppa di pesce, a fish stew, is a specialty of Termoli.

The cheeses produced in Molise are not very different from those produced in Abruzzo. The more common ones are Burrino and Manteca, soft, buttery cow's-milk cheeses; Pecorino, sheep's-milk cheese, served young and soft or aged and hard, called also "Maciuocco" in Molise; Scamorza, bland cow's-milk cheese, often served grilled; and Caciocavallo, sheep's-milk cheese.

Sweets and desserts have an ancient tradition here and are linked to the history of the territory and to religious and family festivities. Most common are:

  • Calciumi (also called caucioni or cauciuni), sweet ravioli filled with chestnuts, almonds, chocolate, vanilla, cooked wine musts, and cinnamon and then fried
  • Ciambelline, ring-shaped cakes made in the countryside. They may be all'olio (with olive oil) or al vino rosso (with red wine).
  • Ferratelle all'anice, anise cakes made in metal molds and stamped with special patterns
  • Ricotta pizza, a cake pan filled with a blend of ricotta cheese, sugar, flour, butter, maraschino liqueur, and chocolate chips.[5]

International relations[edit]

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy

Twin towns — sister cities[edit]

Molise is twinned with:

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Eurostat - Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table". Epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu. 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  2. ^ EUROPA - Press Releases - Regional GDP per inhabitant in 2008 GDP per inhabitant ranged from 28% of the EU27 average in Severozapaden in Bulgaria to 343% in Inner London
  3. ^ "Eurostat". Circa.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  4. ^ a b "Eurostat". Circa.europa.eu. 2001-01-01. Archived from the original on 2007-08-05. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  5. ^ "Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society". Abruzzomoliseheritagesociety.org. Archived from the original on 2013-03-09. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
  6. ^ "Miasta partnerskie i zaprzyjaźnione Nowego Sącza". Urząd Miasta Nowego Sącza (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-05-23. Retrieved 2013-08-01.

External links[edit]

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