1st day: Arrival in Colle d’Anchise (CB)
Arrival by your own means in the province of Campobasso; in Colle d'Anchise your room awaits you in a splendid Albergo Diffuso, surrounded by green olive groves. Relax in the structure, dinner and overnight stay.
2nd day: Colle d’Anchise / Altilia – Sepino / Bojano / Sant’Angelo in Grotte / Colle d’Anchise (km 77)
Breakfast. Meeting at the hotel with your guide and departure with your own means for Altilia-Sepino. Arrival in the historic center of Sepino and guided tour of this small jewel of medieval architecture in which sober and elegant Renaissance buildings are inserted. We start from the central square and, after a passage through its alleys, we take the route to reach "Terravecchia", a Samnite fortress with mighty walls that had to face the assaults of the Roman troops led by the consul Papirio Cursore in 293 BC. during the III Samnite War. We continue to go down to the valley until we reach the Tratturo Pescasseroli-Candela which will lead you to the entrance door of the Roman city of Altilia. Before the Romans, a small but prosperous Samnite commercial center already existed in this place. With the victory of Rome over the Samnites, a thriving town was born here, Saepinum, which soon acquired importance in the Roman world thanks to the industriousness of its inhabitants and the rich families who resided there. Saepinum, defined as “the city of Tratturo”, has a rhomboid shape with four doors placed at the ends of the Decumano and the Cardo. The walls, in uncertain reticulated work, were built just before 4 AD and along their path there are 25 circular and two octagonal towers. Continue to Bojano. Legend said that the town, close to the sources of the Biferno river, was born at the behest of a group of young Samnites who wanted to build their city right where an ox stopped during the transhumance and it is for this reason that from ancient Bovianum today we find Bojano. Interesting the visit the fortified medieval village, called Civita di Bojano which dominates the town. Bojano is also famous for its cow's milk “mozzarella” and dairy processing of the highest excellence. Visit and tasting in a well-known artisan dairy. Your day continues on to Sant’Angelo in Grotte, a small village with less than 200 inhabitants, which contains a precious jewel: the Grotta di San Michele. A legend is linked to it: San Michele, fascinated by the beauty of the place, would have chosen it as his home, but the Lord had established another destination for him, Monte Sant'Angelo in Puglia; the saint, according to tradition, walked through a tunnel dug into the mountain and, arriving at a cliff, from here took flight towards the Gargano. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
3rd day: Campobasso / Oratino /Colle d’Anchise (km 55)
Breakfast. Departure with your car towards Campobasso, meeting with your daily guide and visit of the capital of the Molise region. The city has medieval origins and its name comes from Campus Bassus, with its inhabited area built at the foot of the Monforte castle, from which you can admire the whole city. Its historic center is made up of small ups and downs alleys, lively and colorful; full of historic buildings. These alleys in the period of June are further filled with life, on the occasion of the “Parade of the Mysteries” with dances and songs for the hope of a new and rich harvest. But there are many other attractions in Campobasso throughout the year, which make emigrants return back to their homeland.
Here perhaps resides one of the early medieval witnesses of central-southern Italy: the Tomb of the Warrior, located on the ground floor of the Samnite Provincial Museum.
After the visit of Campobasso, continue to Oratino, between the most beautiful villages in Italy and in Molise! The Palazzo Giordano and the Rocca di Oratino are the historical "masters" of this interesting town. The Palazzo Giordano built in the second half of the 15th century was surrounded in the 18th century with four corner towers and the typical battlements. La Rocca, located a short distance from the village, is a medieval tower with a square plan, the only remaining representation of a medieval castle unfortunately lost over time. Return to the Albergo Diffuso in Colle d'Anchise, dinner and overnight stay.
4th day: Guardialfiera / Casacalenda / Guglionesi / Larino
Breakfast. Check-out and departure to Guardialfiera. Arrival and meeting with the guide at your disposal for the whole day. This small town overlooks Lake Liscione, an artificial reservoir originating from the waters of the Biferno. It is the largest lake in Molise, crossed by a long viaduct over which runs one of the main ways that connects Termoli to Campobasso. The town was the birthplace of the writer Francesco Jovine and for this reason it is part of the Borghi della Lettura. Your itinerary continues towards Casacalenda, a delightful village located on a hill just over 600 meters above sea level. Immersed in the Biferno Valley, this small medieval village has an irresistible charm due to its geographical position full of history, culture and traditions. Do not miss the visit at the Civic Gallery of Contemporary Art, at the Multimedia Museum of Bufù (an ancient musical instrument similar to a drum whose sound seems to be the heartbeat); and at the precious historical center looking like an open-air art gallery. Casacalenda has also in its heart the LIPU Oasis on the slopes of the Frentani Mountains, with more than 100 hectares of hilly oak forest with water sources and various species of endangered birds. A true paradise for adults and children. Free lunch.
The afternoon continues towards Guglionesi, a medieval village containing one of the most significant examples of Romanesque art in Molise: the church of San Nicola and the crypt of Sant’Adamo. Through a delightful walk you will arrive at the Belvedere, one of the most panoramic points of Molise where the wheat fields meet the colors of the Adriatic Sea.
The day ends in Larino, accommodation in Dimora Rurale, dinner and overnight stay.
5th day: Larino / Termoli / Montenero di Bisaccia / Larino
Breakfast. Departure with your car to Termoli. Meeting with your guide to visit the beautiful ancient village with the Romanesque Cathedral in the center and the outline of the surrounding walls with the fascinating Swabian Castle of Norman origin, formed by a central body with four towers and an upper tower, isolated from the rest of the building inside which there’s the meteorological station of the Air Force. Here you can admire the “Trabucco”, a fishing machine built on stilts stuck between the sea rocks, with two poles holding a rectangular net which is lowered into the water, thanks to a winch, to proceed with the fishing. Free lunch. Returning to Larino, stop in Montenero di Bisaccia at a winery for a visit to the cellar and tasting of wines and local products. Return to the Dimora Rurale, dinner and overnight stay.
6th day: Goodbye Molise!
Breakfast and check-out of your room. Departure for your destination of origin or extension of your stay in Molise with our other proposals.