Campobasso
Campobasso is the capital city of the Molise region in Italy. It is located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by the Sannio mountains.
Campobasso is renowned for the craftmanship of blades including scissors and knives, historically documented since the 14th century. It also famous for the production of pears and scamorza (cheese).
The origins of Campobasso are still disputed. According to the most agreed theory, the city was founded before the 8th century as a fortified camp by the Lombards on the steep of the hill where a castle is.
In the October and November 1943 Campobasso was the centre of fights between the Allies and the German troops. Several buildings and plant were destroyed, and 38 citizens were killed. In 1995 the city received the Bronze Medal for Civil Valour for the harsh work made by the Campobassani to clean all territory from dangerous unexploded warheads, a work that lasted well into 1948.
The main attraction of Campobasso is the Castello Monforte, built in 1450 by the local ruler Nicola II Monforte, over Lombard of Norman ruins. The current construction is the result of later rebuildings after the earthquakes of 1456 and and 1805.
Next to the castle is the Chiesa della Madonna del Monte (Santa Maria Maggiore). It houses a precious wooden statue of the Incoronata. At the feet of the castle, the church of St. George is probably the most ancient church of Campobasso, built around the year 1000 AD over the ruins of a Pagan temple.
The main church is the Cathedral, or Chiesa della Santissima Trinità (Church of the Holy Trinity), was built outside the city walls. It was destroyed by an earthquake.
The church of San Bartolomeo is a Romanesque building from the 11th century, in limestone. The interior has a nave and two aisles.
To the north of Molise is Region of Abruzzo. Located in Abruzzo is the town of Valle San Giovanni.
Valle San Giovanni is a small village of approximately 350 people located about six miles away from the town (comune) of Teramo, the capital of the province of Teramo, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso are about 25 km away. It sits in the Tordino Valley, near the spot where two small streams, the Lete and the Fiumicello, flow into the Tordino river.
According to some sources the town takes its name from a powerful Teramo family with the last name “Di Valle”. Others claim that the name derives from its proximity to an ancient monastery, San Giovanni in Pergullis (Saint John amongst the Pergolae), a location surrounded by many vineyards.
In the 1500 and 1600s, Valle San Giovanni witnessed a number of brigand skirmishes, these arising from struggles over control of the surrounding forest areas. At least a few of these brigands were themselves local townsfolk.
In the midst of these ongoing struggles, San Giovanni in Pergulis, the monastery on the outskirts of Valle San Giovanni, experienced a rapid and irreversible decline. In 1561 Pope Paul IV deeded these holdings, along with the remains of the old convent, to the collegiate church of Montorio al Vomano with the understanding that they would be restored. Unfortunately, this was not to be and further deterioration ensued. In 1775 the church authorities of Montorio al Vomano ceded San Giovanni in Pergulis and all of its associated religious functions, to the main church of Valle San Giovanni, Madonna della Neve. The latter sits in the center of Valle San Giovanni, and takes its name, Madonna della Neve (Our Lady of Snow), from a legend in which a church was to be erected on the spot where a summer snowfall was to occur. Madonna della Neve is known for its frescoes dating back to 1458 and for the religious festival held the first weekend in August of each year which serves to commemorate its founding.
According to local sources and histories, during the Second World War the grottoes located immediately above Valle San Giovanni served as places of refuge for the Italian partisans then battling the German forces.Located off of the main piazza, Largo della Chiesa, is Via del Casale. The residents of Valle San Giovanni call themselves “Vallaroli”.
Adjacent to Valle San Giovanni are the nearby towns of Frondarola, Travazzano and Valle Soprana.
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