Frosolone - Frosolone

Frosolone is a center of the Molise.

To know

The town is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Geographical notes

The city develops onMolise Apennines, among the mountains ofIsernino: 17 km from Bojano, 25 from Pietrabbondante, 30 from Trivento, 32 from Isernia, 33 from Campobasso, 45 from Agnone.

Background

Before the Roman age the area was inhabited by Samnite populations, as evidenced by the presence of polygonal megalithic walls, visible on the mountain overlooking the town, in the locality of Civitelle. These remains belong to a high-altitude settlement, a fortified settlement of not very large dimensions probably destined to be inhabited only at certain times of the year, with generically defensive functions.

The inhabited center dates back to medieval times: in a document kept in Monte Cassino and dating back to the first half of the 11th century, a so-called creek appears among the landmarks of the area Aqua Freselona.

In Frosolone some Molise friars would have been tried and imprisoned: their detention would have taken place in the "castle", the current baronial palace.

Only towards the end of the Middle Ages, Frosolone began to take on the appearance of a real urban nucleus. As a document preserved in the State Archives of Naples, the town would have risen to the rank of parish thanks to the transfer of the title from the church of San Martino to the church of Santa Maria Assunta, in the upper part of the current village. The church of San Martino is remembered as being connected to a convent; it is supposed that it was originally an autonomous settlement, of small dimensions, abandoned for unknown reasons (the cause could be the earthquake of 1349).

As with many other towns in Molise, the medieval phase of the town ended drastically with the earthquake of 1456: the sources recall that "for the most part it fell, with the death of 318 people".

Regular testimonies of Frosolone are had, then, starting from the Spanish period; in this era it went through an intense phase of development: together with Agnone is Trivento it housed one of the three bishopric residences of the diocese.

Growth continued throughout the modern age; in 1796 it had 3,876 inhabitants and was already renowned for the production of scissors and knives. In this period it had “three Parishes, of which two are Collegiate [...]; thirteen public chapels [...]; a Commandery of Malta; two Convents of Regulars [...]; a House of Education of the Missionary Fathers [...]; three Lay Confraternities [...]; a hospital for the hospitalization of the sick; seven Monti Frumentarj [...] two parish priests and an archpriest ».

The nineteenth century saw Frosolone in the role of one of the most populous and industrious inhabited centers of the County of Molise: in the same period in which it touched the 4,000 inhabitants, Agnone it had about 7,500, Bojano about 3,500, Campobasso about 5,500, Isernia about 6,900. The earthquake of 1805, however, imposed a strong setback to development; this second catastrophe had an equally disastrous outcome as that of 1456: sources of the time define it as "almost entirely suitable for the ground", and report a figure between eight hundred and one thousand dead and 46 wounded out of a population of 4,000 souls. Despite this new calamity, as of 1 January 1835 in Frosolone there were 2,431 males and 2,407 females, for a total of 4,838 inhabitants; the inhabited center, however, remained occupied for a long time by the rubble of the collapsed houses, the church of Santa Maria Assunta required reconstruction work which ended only in 1870, the church of San Pietro was no longer rebuilt (the space left free is today Largo Vittoria).

The reconstruction following the earthquake and later the unification of Italy gave Frosolone a new face and ambitious development prospects: for example, the urban layout was reorganized in several phases and works such as the Immaculate Fountain, the 'public lighting and sewerage; in 1901 the Regio Ginnasio was established.

The dynamism was ensured, in particular, by the development of the production of scissors and knives, with hundreds of small workshops which in the Giolitti period even gave birth to an avant-garde cooperative. This has ensured the country a working class, a rather rare condition in Molise. At the same time, the agro-pastoral activity has guaranteed the subsistence of numerous families.

The average economic conditions of the population, however, remained somewhat difficult. Thus, between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the town heavily contributed to the great migration of the early twentieth century, drastically reducing the number of residents which between the two centuries had reached 6,200 souls. The first migrations mainly concerned the Americas (Argentina, Brazil and the United States in the first place) and Australia, while in Italy mainly Naples. A new wave of migration, after the Second World War, has instead directed towards Europe (mainly Belgium, Germany and Switzerland), Canada, Northern Italy and Rome, the latter also as a university destination. In the capital alone, according to a research conducted by the association "Forche Caudine", the club of Molise in Rome, in 2010 there were a thousand families of Frosolonese origin. All this has contributed to the significant demographic decline (in 2020 the population fell below three thousand residents) and to the slow but constant aging of the same.

How to orient yourself

Neighborhoods

Its municipal territory also includes the hamlets of San Pietro in Valle, Cerasito, Aquevive, Sant'Anna, Pedengone and Colle Carrise.

How to get

By plane

• Pescara airport (Abruzzo International Airport), Via Tiburtina Km 229.100, ☎ 39 085 4324201. 
• Naples Capodichino Airport (NAP), Viale F. Ruffo di Calabria, 80144 Naples NA, ☎ 39 081 7896111. 
• Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), Via dell 'Fiumicino Airport, 320, ☎ 39 06 65951. 

By car

• Adriatic Highway A14

• from the north exit at Montenero di Bisaccia/Vast South/San Salvo, take the SS 650 (Fondo Valle Trigno) in the direction of Isernia, turn in the direction of Civitanova del Sannio, continue along the SP 74 towards Frosolone.
• from the south follow the direction Pescara, continue on the A16 motorway, follow the direction Benevento, in Benevento continue on the SS 88, exit at Campobasso, take the SS 87 (Bifernina state road) in the direction of Campobasso/Isernia, continue on the SS 17, SS 618 in the direction of Frosolone.

• Autostrada del Sole:

• from the north exit at San Vittore, follow the direction Venafro on the SS 6, in Venafro continue on the SS 85 in the direction of Isernia, continue on the SS 17 in the direction of Campobasso, cross Isernia, take the SS 618 towards Frosolone.
• from the south exit at Caianello, follow the signs for Isernia, SS 85, continue on the SS 17 in the direction of Campobasso, go across Isernia, take the SS 618 towards Frosolone.

• From Isernia take the SS 85, continue on the SS 17 in the direction of Campobasso, take the SS 618 towards Frosolone.
• From Campobasso take the SS 87 (state road Bifernina), continue on the SS 647 dir B, SS 647, continue on the SP 169, SS 618 in the direction of Frosolone.

On the train

• Isernia station (about 30 km) for the line Rome - Campobasso
• Station of Campobasso (about 34 km) for the line Naples - Benevento - Campobasso.

Connections to Frosolone by bus with the "Lariviera" bus lines.

By bus

The main public transport companies operating in the Molise area are the following:

• Autolinee C.L.P. S.p.A., ☎ 39 081 5311707, 39 081 5312424, @[email protected]. Direct connection from Naples to Campomarino and Termoli 
• Lariviera bus lines. 
• SATI bus lines. 
• Molise Trasporti bus lines. 

How to get around

What see

• 41.60063814.4490531 Church of Santa Maria Assunta. Like many Molise monuments, this church has also been restored several times after the ruins brought about by earthquakes, in particular those of 1456 and 1805. The foundation system dates back to the 13th century. The current building has a Latin cross interior, with three naves delimited by pillars. The central nave is vaulted, with a dome on the cross. It has a baroque facade and a high bell tower.

It houses paintings by Giacinto Diana from the first half of the 18th century in the side altars. 

• Church of San Pietro, Corso Garibaldi. It houses valuable works by Dupré (Sacred Heart and Holy Family by Amalia Dupré). 
• Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Built in the fifteenth century on the eastern outskirts of the town, it was enlarged and restructured in 1533; it has been the subject of a recent restoration.

The wooden main altar preserves nine artistic paintings attributable to the Neapolitan mannerism of the seventeenth century.

The facade can be traced back to the late Renaissance. 

• Convent of the Capuchins. It stands next to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie; built in 1580, it was later remodeled and managed until 1799 by the Capuchins. Suppressed and confiscated by Murat, it was reactivated in 1812 with the Mannarini fathers, who were left without a convent following the earthquake of 1805. 
• Cloister of Santa Chiara. Next to the church of San Pietro, the cloister is part of the ancient complex of S. Chiara. It was founded in 1367 at the behest of Baron Giovanni D’Evoli. Born as a convent, it later became a district prison and from May 1995 the municipal seat. A careful restoration has brought the complex back to its valuable appearance. 
• Church of San Michele Arcangelo. Located within the ancient settlement, it reveals its original thirteenth-century layout especially in the pointed arches of the two side chapels, which recall the Benedictine style. Also rebuilt several times, the church preserves two valuable paintings of the Our Lady of Grace and of Madonna of the Rosary in the two side altars. 
• Fountain of the Immaculate Conception (Fonte Grossa). It is in the modern heart of the country, outside the historic center.

An example of local craftsmanship, it is made of squared limestone, with side wash-houses and picturesque masks. 

• Former Palazzo D'Alena, today Vago-Ruberto, Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Palace that belonged to the noble Molise D'Alena family, originally from Apricena, from the nineteenth century owned by the Vago-Ruberto family. Inside there are frescoes by Amalia Duprè.
• Zampini baronial palace. In addition to the Zampini, it belonged to all the lords of Frosolone from the mid-twelfth century. 

Museums

• Museum of cutting tools, Garibaldi Street. It collects hundreds of examples of scissors and knives manufactured in Frosolone in the past centuries. It also keeps a collection of cutting blades for military use. In the museum there is an artisan workshop where you can watch the forging of the blades according to the ancient craft techniques of the country. 
• Costume Museum. It collects ancient costumes of the popular tradition of the country and its villages, characteristic clothes that can also vary according to the different traditional festivals. 
• Shepherd's cottage, Corso Garibaldi. In the house, which reconstructs the traditional environment of peasant life, the visitor is shown the production techniques of the typical cheeses of Frosolone: ​​scamorza, caciocavallo, ricotta, treccia, manteca, which are made to taste. 
• Arts and crafts museum. Dedicated to the work tools produced by local artisans 

Events and parties

What to do

Thanks to the rocky chains in the crag in the so-called Morgia Quadra area, the center attracts hundreds of rock climbing enthusiasts every year.

Speleology enthusiasts operate in the same area.

Shopping

• The products deriving from breeding are particularly valuable in the area, such as the production of cheeses but also of cured meats, meat and sausages.

• Caciocavallo from Frosolone
• Scamorza
• Manteca
• Pecorino cheese
• Meat
• Suppressed
• Sausages

• The sector linked to truffle quarrying is constantly expanding.
• Still practiced is the artisanal production of scissors and knives.

How to have fun

Where to eat

Average prices

• ^{[link not working]}Antichi Sapori restaurant and pizzeria, ☎ 39 0874 890456. 
• ^{[link not working]}Vigne Vecchie farmhouse (in Acquevive), ☎ 39 0874 899213. 
• L'Amico Bar Pizzeria, Corso Italia, 85. 
• Queen Valley Pub, Fresilia Industrial Area, ☎ 39 0874 890740. 
• 41.59427414.4576741 Il Mulino restaurant and pizzeria, Via Teste, 2, ☎ 39 0874 899871. 
• La Tana dell'Orso pizza restaurant, via Colle Morello 32, ☎ 39 320 2396591. 
• 41.60034914.4480982 Trattoria La Taverna, ☎ 39 0874 890326. 
• Trattoria Peccati di Gola, ☎ 39 338 7908133. 

Where stay

Average prices

• La Dimora dell'Incoronata holiday home, Corso Garibaldi 32 (in the village), ☎ 39 320 4092884. 
• House Hotel Il Borgo dell'Orso (in the district Acquevive), ☎ 39 336 532253, 39 0874 890785. In an old renovated farmhouse. 
• B&B La Torre (in the locality of Torre), ☎ 39 0874 890803, 39 339 4608247. 
• Casa Albergo Al Borgo Antico (in the historic center), ☎ 39 320 4325091. 
• 41.59756114.4597371 ^{[link not working]}B&B Casale della Valle, Via Valle Cupa 11, ☎ 39 320 5664042. With the possibility of riding in the spaces adjacent to the farmhouse. 
• Casa Albergo Il Girasole, J. Palach Square, 3 (in San Pietro in Valle), ☎ 39 0874 890402, 39 334 1654884. 
• ^{[link not working]}B&B La Casa Vecchia, Via G. Verdi, 3 (in the historic center), ☎ 39 0874 890835, 39 333 2684343. 
• 41.59982714.4463082 La Taverna widespread hotel, via Marconi 7 (in the center), ☎ 39 0874 890057, 39 335 8253568, fax: 39 0874 899956. 
• 41.60184914.4491073 Casa Albergo Preziuso (in the historic center), ☎ 39 0874 890955. 
• 41.60156914.4480234 Sant'Angelo house hotel, Via Zampini, ☎ 39 0874 890781, 39 333 5497596. 
• Casa Albergo San Pietro, Largo Vittoria snc, ☎ 39 0874 890882, 39 339 7630664. 
• Santa Maria hotel house, Vico R. Sanzio, ☎ 39 0874 890409, 39 339 2496948, @[email protected]. 
• 41.60052614.4525295 La Colombina Hotel, Via Dante, 10, ☎ 39 0874 890456, 39 339 1206637. 
• Villa Mulino, ☎ 39 320 4325091. Mill from 1850 renovated 

Safety

Pharmacy

• 41.5999814.4472931 Iovine, Via Filangieri, 14, ☎ 39 0874 890572. 

How to keep in touch

• 41.60033914.4474152 Italian post, Alessandro Volta square, ☎ 39 0874 890817. 

Around

• Campobasso - The old city develops on a hill around the castle in a dominant position. The modern city has developed in the plan. It is the most populous center of Molise, of which it is the regional capital.
• Isernia - Among the first documented Paleolithic settlements in Europe, it was then a flourishing Samnite city, capital of the Italic League, later a Roman Municipium. Its millennial past has left it with an important monumental heritage that extends up to the pre-Roman era, as well as very important prehistoric finds.
• Bojano - It was a powerful Samnite city, then a Roman center. In the Middle Ages it became an episcopal seat. It retains a beautiful old town full of churches, as well as the cathedral.
• Trivento - Ancient bishopric, in its cathedral the crypt of particular historical-architectural value dating back to the 11th-12th century is preserved.

Itineraries

• Castles in the province of Isernia - There are numerous manors of theMolise Apennines in the countries ofUpper Molise, ofIsernino he was born in Venafrano. Some are in ruins due to war or earthquakes; others have been recovered; many have a military aspect, with little or no external architectural evolution of transformation into a stately home.

Useful information

• Pro Loco - Tourist information, Town Hall Square 1, ☎ 39 320 8865038, 39 320 6631752, 39 333 6943970, @[email protected]. 

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Frosolone
• Commons contains images or other files on Frosolone

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