Isernia - Isernia

Isernia is a city of Molise.

To know

Geographical notes

The city rises onMolise Apennines and is surrounded by the Matese mountains to the south and the Mainarde to the north. It is the reference city ofIsernino. It is 23 km from Venafro, 29 from Bojano, 31 from Castel di Sangro, 43 from Agnone, 46 from Cassino, 51 from Campobasso, 75 from Sulmona, 80 from Caserta, 88 from Vast, 89 from Benevento.

Background

The area where Isernia stands today has been inhabited by man since the Paleolithic era: the first settlements date back to at least 700,000 years ago. The origins of the urban agglomeration are also very ancient, but at present it is not possible to establish a certain date.The city was under the Samnite dominion since the fifth century BC. Thanks to its strategic position, its control was one of the crucial points during the Samnite wars. In 264 BC it became a Roman colony and in 209 BC. remained faithful to Rome in the Second Punic War. In the period from 263 BC in 240 BC, that is, after the deduction in colony, the coins of Aesernia. Some authors believe that part of the social war coinage may have been minted in the same center. During the Social War in 90 BC Isernia was occupied by the Italics after a long siege and became their capital. It fell at the end of the war at the hands of Silla, who razed it to the ground.

In the following years various emperors, from Caesar to Nero, promoted a repopulation plan by sending colonies to the territories where the city stood. At the time of Traiano Isernia was elevated to the rank of Town Hall; in that period, the Capitolium was also built.After the fall of the Roman Empire, Isernia was destroyed in 456 by the Vandals, led by Genseric, three times by the Saracens, in the years 860, 882 and 883.

In the seventh century, the Lombards promoted its rebirth with the construction of public works. Later during the Norman rule, in which it was part of the county of Molise, underwent a phase of decline: his diocese was unified with those of Venafro is Bojano. Also in 1199 it was sacked by Marcovaldo di Annweiler. In the thirteenth century the city was reborn again thanks to Frederick II.

After several changes of ownership between a feudal lord and another, in 1519 Isernia was annexed by Charles V to the Kingdom of NaplesOn 23 October 1860 he hosted Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy for one night on his way to go to Teano to meet Giuseppe Garibaldi. The Sovereign took up residence in the Cimorelli Palace, located in the street that later took his name.

At the end of the 18th century it was the most populous city in the County of Molise. He resisted the French in an attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Naples, as well as resisted in 1860, by virtue of the Bourbon reaction against the Piedmontese. The Piedmontese also ordered summary shootings in Isernia in which according to some 1245 people of the kingdom of Naples died, while according to a writ of the time (1861) the clash "cost 1245 victims between national guards, liberals, reactionaries and soldiers of the two belligerent armies".

On 10 September 1943, during the Second World War, Isernia suffered a very heavy bombardment by the allies, which destroyed almost a third of the town and caused the death of a very high number of people. Due to the damage caused by these and other bombings in the mid-twentieth century, a plan for the revival of the city was put in place, which also included development in the northernmost area. Also, in 1957, after the division of the region Abruzzi and Molise, the hypothesis of the establishment of the province of Isernia began to take hold. In reality, this was not the first attempt in this direction: the institution of the province had already been promoted by Joachim Murat in 1810, but without success. However, Parliament postponed any decision on the matter. The new failure of the provincial institution process sparked a protest in the city, characterized by marches of workers and students; the protest resulted in a series of city riots culminating in roadblocks and violent clashes with the police, with injuries and arrests. 1957 and 1958 were the years remembered in Isernia as 'of social violence'. On February 16, 1970 the Parliament sanctioned the institution of the new province which became operational on March 3, 1970.

How to orient yourself

Neighborhoods

Its municipal territory also includes the hamlets of Acquazolfa, Bazzoffie, Breccelle, Capruccia, Castagna, Castelromano, Collecroci, Colle de 'Cioffi, Colle Martino, Colle Pagano, Conocchia, Coppolicchio, Fragnete, Marini, Salietto, Valle Soda and Valgianese.

How to get

By plane

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

By car

The territory of the municipality of Isernia is mainly crossed by the State road 17 of the Abruzzese Apennines and Appulo Sannitica which connects it to the north with Sulmona, L'Aquila until you get to Antrodoco, and eastward until you reach Campobasso is Foggia. In recent years, the variant of the ss17 has been inaugurated, which goes up to Forlì del Sannio, and which represents the first part of the new road that will connect Isernia with Castel di Sangro. The final section of this road was inaugurated on 28 December 2011, the one that connects Forlì del Sannio to Castel di Sangro. State road 650 of Fondovalle Trigno, which connects Isernia with San Salvo Marina, la State road 85 Venafrana which connects the city with Vairano Patenora and finally the State road 627 della Vandra that connects it with Sora.Isernia is exactly 80 km from both coasts, both the Adriatic coast of San Salvo Marina and the Tyrrhenian coast of Scauri.

On the train

• It has a railway station where several routes cross, with direct connections to Rome and Naples,

• Line Termoli - Campobasso - Isernia
• Line Rome- Isernia - Campobasso
• Line Naples- Isernia- Campobasso

By bus

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

• Lariviera bus lines [1]
• SATI bus lines [2]
• Molise Trasporti bus lines [3]
• Autoservizi F.lli Cerella: For connections from Rome and Naples

How to get around

What see

Churches

• 41.59020914.2268531 Isernia Cathedral is dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle. The current building stands on an ancient pagan temple. Isernia was founded as a Latin colony in 264 BC. as an outpost in the Sannio. The colony had characters similar to the other Italic colonies of the time found by the Tuscany (like What) to the Campania (how Paestum).

Even the temple was closely related to the temples of the time and even if it was not the largest in the city, it has the greatest remains thanks to the preservation of the entire podium below the current cathedral. Further recent excavations have ascertained the shapes of the temple.

The travertine podium that protrudes from one side is characterized by a massive base, above which two swollen "pillow" shapes are placed, symmetrically superimposed (straight and inverted) and surmounted by the plinth. The dedication was to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva.

For the construction of the building some materials of the ancient temple were recycled: this clearly made it more difficult to reconstruct the features of the ancient building, and it is reasonable to assume that this was abandoned for a long time and used solely as a quarry to draw material. for construction.

The plan of the building included three cells, one for the adoration of each of the divinities making up the triad: the entrance was on the current Vico Giobbe, and probably the toponymy retains this name as a modification of the pagan Jupiter.

In the early Middle Ages, a Greek-Byzantine style cathedral was built on the site of the temple which preserved the layout of the previous building: the entrance was located to the south, the apse to the north, corresponding to the ancient cells dedicated to the pagan gods. In 1300 a bell tower was built, in common with the church of San Paolo, located behind the cathedral.

A series of natural disasters, including numerous earthquakes, structurally damaged the building, which saw a series of restorations and reconstructions, the first of which in 846: in 1349 it was totally rebuilt following the collapse due to a seismic landslide, but the appearance changed radically. The entrance was in fact moved to the north near the market square, to catalyze the city activity in a single point. The interior of the church consisted of three naves enriched with decorations.

In 1456 a further earthquake damaged the building which was always restored without substantial changes compared to the previous one. In the seventeenth century the two chapels on the sides of the apse were built and in 1769 the dome was built at the behest of Bishop De Peruta.

In 1805 a disastrous earthquake severely damaged the ancient structures of the building which was then rebuilt in the same location, but larger in size. The works took place between 1826 and 1834 and were then completed from 1837 to 1851 with the construction of the pronaos.

The temple was damaged by the air raids of September 1943 and restored at the behest of Bishop Achille Palmerini between 1963 and 1968. Archaeological excavations were subsequently carried out inside the cathedral which highlighted the ancient structures of the temple, visible through the glass floor made in place of that of 1903, wanted by the then bishop of Isernia e Venafro Nicola Maria Merola.

The main facade of the cathedral overlooks Piazza Andrea d'Isernia and is flanked by the lower and simpler one of the episcope. Its current appearance is due to the neoclassical restorations of the second half of the nineteenth century. The entrance to the church, which is possible through three large bronze portals of modern taste, is preceded by the large nineteenth-century pronaos; the structure, with the large triangular tympanum in travertine, is supported by two pairs of pillars at the corners and by four high Ionic columns on the front. In 1954 the two lateral sides of the pronaos were opened and the wrought iron gates were eliminated. Along the left side of the cathedral, left with exposed bricks, you can see the historical stratification and the presence of a Baroque-style portal with a marble frame, currently walled up and placed higher than the street level. Also on Corso Marcelli it is possible to see the podium consisting of a double inverted groove with swollen shapes.

The current internal aspect of the cathedral also dates back to the restorations ordered following the earthquake of July 26, 1805 starting from the year 1851. The interior space therefore appears divided into three naves with four bays each by pillars decorated with Corinthian pilasters in marble. polychrome. The central nave, on whose counter-façade is the wooden choir loft containing the pipes of the Ruffati organ, whose console is in the transept, before the 1984 earthquake had a barrel vault frescoed with figures of Saints. The dome, on the other hand, still maintains its original fresco decoration that entirely covers the internal cap, created in 1927-1928 by Amedeo Trivisonno. Focused on the Dogma of the Assumption, it is inspired by the Baroque frescoes and has not suffered serious damage during the bombing of 1943 and the earthquake of 1984. The floor, mostly in glass, dates back to 2002 and highlights the excavations found under the building.

The quadrangular apse houses two important Baroque works: leaning against the back wall, in fact there is the pre-conciliar high altar dating back to the end of the 18th century, surmounted by the altarpiece Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter by Raffaele Gioia. The post-conciliar high altar, the episcopal chair, the ambo and the marble baptismal font, located under the arch separating the cross from the apse, date back to the liturgical adaptation of the 1980s.

The chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, to the left of the apse, houses a fine Baroque altar in polychrome marble with a ciborium surmounted by two cherubs and the dove of the Holy Spirit. : In the ancona there is the ancient Byzantine table depicting the Virgo Lucis (the Madonna of Light) by Marco Basilio; dating back to the fifteenth century, it was brought to Isernia in 1567. For the Isernini it represents the symbol of a "Guide" through the light. They turn to the icon saying "Santa Maria, hurry up the way" (Santa Maria, free the road).

In the chapel to the right of the presbytery there is a statue of the Madonna de ru père (Madonna del Piede), probably built in the 13th century and first placed in the Sanctuary of Santa Maria d'Altopiede, near the city, then in the Hermitage of Santi Cosma and Damiano and finally placed in the cathedral in the 20th century. Various works are part of the Cathedral Treasury, including the gilded copper cage of S. Nicandro, from the 14th century, the silver cross donated by Celestino V to his city, some chalices and a precious altar cross from the Angevin school.

Leaning against the left side of the church, above Corso Marcelli, there is the ancient bell tower, commonly called Arco di San Pietro, due to the large pointed arch through which the course passes. 

• Arch of St. Peter. The bell tower of the Cathedral Church, commonly called the arch of St. Peter, straddles the main axis of the city and formerly served both the Church of St. Peter and that of St. Paul, located on the other side of the street, where the University is now located. The construction of the bell tower almost certainly dates back to the years following the earthquake of 1349, when it was decided to change the orientation of the Cathedral; it has undergone many renovations over the years, but the lower part is certainly original from the 14th century on a 9th century base.

The current bell tower, which stands on the site of an older one of at least four centuries, owes its appearance to the restorations of 1456, commissioned by the bishop Giacomo Montaquila: it is a square tower in Gothic style with pointed arches, divided into four orders of cornices: in the lower one opens the pointed arch, through which Corso Marcelli passes; in the upper two, instead, the windows of the belfry open and there is the civic clock. On the top of the bell tower, the only part of the tower damaged during the earthquake of 1805, there are the two bells that ring the hours. At the four internal corners of the two arches there are four Roman togate statues from the area of ​​the forum. 

• Hermitage of Santi Cosma e Damiano. It stands on a hill not far from the town. The church was built on the ruins of a very ancient pagan temple, but we have news of its construction only from 1130. This temple was dedicated to the cult of Priapo, the patron god of virility. With the advent of Christianity this cult continued and it was not by chance that the two medical saints were chosen as holders of the new Church.

During the eighteenth century the English diplomat William Hamilton described the permanence of the cult of Priapus in the countryside of Molise. He claimed that Priapus had been replaced with Saint Cosmas, and that his celebration took place as it was done for the pagan god. In reality, the authenticity of the letter is questioned for a number of reasons including the writer's anticlericality.

Until a few centuries ago many phallic symbols were displayed or even carried in procession; the very elongated lantern, placed above the tower, is nothing more than a phallic symbol. The current architectural structure, with the wide access stairway and the portico, dates back to the sixteenth century. The temple has a coffered ceiling, many frescoes illustrating the life and miracles of the two medical saints and a collection of ex-votos. Finally, there are legends about the cult of the two saints handed down orally in the Isernina culture. 

• Church of San Francesco. The church with the adjoining Monastery of the Conventual Fathers was built in 1222 by San Francesco d'Assisi, passing through Isernia. Later it was dedicated to Santo Stefano; the entrance was moved to the opposite side to the current one, on via Roma. After the death of the Saint of Assisi, the orientation and name of the church were changed, while retaining many medieval elements. On the left there is a real church in the church, the so-called chapel of Sant'Antonio, built in 1450. There are numerous works of art present, including two Crucifixes from the 16th century, a wooden statue of the Madonna della Provvidenza from the 14th century and a bell cast in 1259. 
• 41.59072914.2277392 Church of Santa Chiara. Together with the monastery of the same name it was founded in 1275. At present, however, there are no traces of the original building. In 1809 the monastery was suppressed, while towards the end of the century an earthquake seriously damaged the church, which for this reason was closed to worship; the reopening took place on 10 October 1910. During the First World War the former monastery building served as accommodation for Austrian and Hungarian political prisoners. The church houses the statue of the Addolorata which, during the Good Friday procession, is carried by porters immediately behind that of the dead Christ. 
• Church of Santa Maria delle Monache. The former monastery of Santa Maria delle Monache, located in the heart of the historic center of Isernia, is one of the oldest monuments in the city. Of early medieval origin, it was built around the year 1000, while the adjoining church of the Assumption with the mighty bell tower dates back to the 7th century, that is to the time of the Lombard prince Arechi. It hosted the nuns of the Benedictine order until 1868, when it was suppressed and confiscated by the state property.

The monumental complex of Santa Maria delle Monache was used, from the unification of Italy onwards, to various uses (barracks, prison, etc.), and is currently a branch of the Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Superintendence of Molise; it also hosts the exhibition of the paleological finds of Isernia La Pineta, il archaeological Museum and the civic library. Preserves archaeological evidence of the city. It was also enriched with lapidary collections from the neighboring area and didactic material on the Samnites, prepared for an exhibition on the subject. There are finds from the necropolis of Termoli, Larino, Montorio dei Frentani, Alfedena, Carovilli, Campochiaro, Pozzilli etc. 

• Church of San Pietro Celestino. It was founded together with the monastery of the same name in 1623. The monastery was destroyed in 1943 by German soldiers, who undermined it before retreating. The church, on the other hand, was spared from war events; currently it is also the seat of the Congrega di San Pietro Celestino. 
• 41.59184114.2287193 Church of the Immaculate Conception. It was razed to the ground by the earthquake of 1805 and rebuilt in 1852. The façade also underwent further interventions in 1952. The interior is characterized by a single nave, with a noteworthy wooden ceiling, in a typically fourteenth-century style. Currently, it is the seat of the Confraternity "La Fraterna", established by Bishop Ettore in 1986, in memory of the homonymous and more famous brotherhood of the thirteenth century. 

Civil architectures

• 41.59200714.2288344 Fountain of the Fraterna. Listed among the monumental fountains of Italy for its admirable architectural structure, the Fraterna Fountain is one of the most significant and important works as well as a symbol of the city.

Composed of blocks of local stone from an unspecified number of buildings in the city and buildings from the Roman era, it is mainly formed by a series of round arches. It has several epigraphs engraved on it, including one dedicated to the Gods Mani. In the center of the fountain there is a marble slab larger than the others, decorated with two dolphins and a flower, coming from a sepulchral building. It can therefore be said that the fountain does not date back to a specific historical period, but that it bears witness to the numerous historical periods that have passed through the city.

The source is located in Piazza Celestino V following the bombings of 1943; previously it was located in piazza della Fraterna, from which it took its name. 

• Roman aqueduct. The Roman Aqueduct of Isernia is an aqueduct of Roman origin dug into the travertine rocks in the subsoil of the city and is still functional today. 
• Cardarelli Bridge (formerly Ponte della Precie). Bridge built in the last decades of the nineteenth century: bold construction that served to eliminate a stretch of state road that presented excessive difference in height. 
• Sulphurous Waters (in the Acqua Sulfurea district). A sulphurous water fountain still active today is present in a spa dating back to Roman times and fallen into disuse for a long time. Recently - following a still partial restructuring of the site by the municipal administration - there has been an attempt to improve the architectural value of the place. 
• Santo Spirito Viaduct. Arched viaduct of the Termoli-Vairano railway over the Carpino river. Destroyed in the allied bombings of 1943, it was rebuilt in its present form. It is supported by two series of arches separated by a large arch that crosses the Hornbeam. 

Palaces

• D'Avalos-Laurelli Palace (the Palazzotto). It was built in 1694 by Prince Diego D'Avalos, descendant of the d'Avalos family, originally from Spain and who came to Italy with Alfonso I of Aragon. At the beginning of the nineteenth century it was devastated by two earthquakes and was subsequently restored by Don Onofrio Laurelli. It is located in Piazza Trento e Trieste, which was once one of the main squares of the city, and was the site of very representative offices. It also incorporates one of the medieval towers in the city which are presumed to be part of an ancient Lombard castle which has now disappeared. 

• San Francesco Palace (city ​​Hall). Adjacent to the church of the same name, it is the seat of the town hall. The entire complex (building with the church attached) was built in 1222 by Francesco d'Assisi. The current building was then the Monastery of the Conventual Fathers and housed the friars until 1809. The ancient monastery was suppressed in the Murattian age to make way for the seat of the municipality and was restored in a highly functional way after the damage caused by the 1980 earthquake. The palace is also the seat of cultural and artistic activities (with a room dedicated to the local painter Domenico Raucci). The structure is characterized by a large internal courtyard in which there are many arches and pillars in local stone. 

• De Lellis-Petrecca Palace, Marconi square. It stands in front of the Civic Palace and the thirteenth-century church of San Francesco; it dates back to the mid-eighteenth century. It is a work of Carlo Vanvitelli and was built on the orders of Ferdinand II of Bourbon. There is in fact a Bourbon symbol on the main facade.

It is planted on a Roman "Domus", overlooking Corso Marcelli (which coincides with the ancient major decumanus of the Latin colony of Aesernia).

The noble De Lellis family has always lived in this building until 1860 when, following the revolt in Isernia, the whole family that sided with the Bourbons was forced to flee to Rome.

Currently the building has been completely bought back by the Petrecca family, who have carried out a masterful restoration. 

• Jadopi Palace, piazza Carducci. It dates back to the 18th century and was the scene of a very special event during the unification of Italy. In fact, in 1860, Stefano Jadopi, who was part of the Neapolitan parliament, resigned from this office to be part of the welcoming committee of the new king of Italy Vittorio Emanuele. Those who opposed the new ruler thus decided to ambush Stefano Jadopi, but by mistake they attacked his son who lost an eye. This fact caused scandal in Italy, so the king sent some Garibaldini to the city to fix things. The Garibaldini were overwhelmed by the troops of the Bourbons; these forced them to retreat inside the palace, which was then set on fire. The heads of the 7 Garibaldi soldiers killed were thus hung on the balconies of the building.

Popular legend has it that the ghost of one of the Garibaldians who died inside is still present in the palace.

The building is still the site of renovations. 

• Pecori-Veneziale Palace, Mazzini ramp. It is one of the most beautiful houses in the city. It was built in the 18th century by the Marquis Pecori, drawing inspiration for its construction from a Florentine palace of the time. The Pecori family was in fact a family of Marquises of Florentine origin and now extinct, settled in Isernia in the seventeenth century.

The building, destroyed by the earthquake of 1805, was recently restored and consolidated after the damage caused by the 1984 earthquake. The stone building represents the noble architecture of Isernia and is still in perfect condition today. 

• Marinelli-Perpetua Palace, Piazza Celestino V / Corso Marcelli. The windows of its four floors, aligned with the arches of the shops on the ground floor, are framed by thin pilasters. 
• Milan building, Mazzini street. It is a four-story building opposite the University building and next to the Cathedral. 
• Orlando Palace. It is located in the new area of ​​the city, adjacent to the municipal villa. It was the seat of the student secretariat of the University of Molise and the degree courses of Political Sciences and International Relations (three-year) and Political and Administrative Sciences (master's). 

• Cimorelli Palace, Mazzini street. In front of Palazzo Pecori, it has a lovely garden on the back that reaches via Roma, with a beautiful view. The Cimorelli palace is located where the access to the Lombard castle might have been; in fact, like the Palazzo d'Avalos-Laurelli, it encompasses one of its towers.

On 23 October 1860 the palace hosted Vittorio Emanuele II for one night on his way to Teano. 

• Episcopal Palace, piazza Andrea d'Isernia. Recently restored, it is located next to the Cathedral. It was destroyed in the bombings of 1943 and later rebuilt. Worthy of note are the baroque balcony with the bishop's coat of arms on the façade, as well as the remains of the Roman and High Middle Ages found in the internal courtyard. 
• Palazzo Pansini-Clemente, Marcelli course. It was built between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. It stands on the ruins of the church of the Annunziata which was destroyed. The church dates back to the fifteenth century, built on the spot where the ancient house of Andrea d'Isernia stood, to which a family chapel was also attached. The chapel and the surrounding houses were donated by the descendants of Andrea d'Isernia to the city with the aim of creating a hospice for the poor. Before the construction of the palace the complex was used as a prison.

Two magnificent frescoes are still preserved from the old church. 

• University building. Recently restored, for some years it has housed the Isernia branch of the University of Molise, the three-year course in Literature and Cultural Heritage, the three-year course in Political and Administration Sciences and the master's degree in Political Science and European Institutions. For the benefit of the University and for various cultural activities, a modern auditorium, lecture hall for the faculty and venue for concerts and international conferences has been built inside. On the outside it has a neat two-story facade, decorated with a white cornice. It was built on the ruins of the ancient church of San Paolo (which carried out its functions until the eighteenth century), connected to the Cathedral by the Arch of San Pietro. The church of San Paolo was built on the remains of buildings of the Roman age: at the present state of knowledge it is not possible to assert what archaeological structures these are, certainly public buildings linked to the ancient Latin colony of Aesernia, deduced in 263 BC. : Certain news of the building dates back to the 14th century when the house of the Castagna barons was built on the ruins of the ancient church, which was then transformed first into a diocesan seminary, then into a bishop's boarding school.

It is the seat of the university library of the University of Molise. 

• Mancini-Belfiore Palace. Palazzo Mancini-Belfiore is the only trace, together with the Cathedral (right in front of it), of the urban situation before the bombing of 1943. Built in the forensic area of ​​the ancient Roman colony, the building is developed on three levels and it is decorated with Ionic capitals; on the ground there are various low-arched portals, which give access to commercial premises. 

Archaeological sites

• Isernia La Pineta. Isernia La Pineta is a Paleolithic archaeological site dating back to about 700,000 years. It was accidentally found by the researcher Alberto Solinas in May 1979.

In 2014, in the excavation area, a milk tooth (precisely the first left upper milk incisor) of a child dating back to 586,000 years was found and is about 7 millimeters large. The news was disclosed on July 8, 2014, at the end of the first investigations, but the discovery dates back to two months earlier. It is today the oldest child in Italy and in addition to being an exceptionally important find it provides an even more certain testimony of the passage of man in that area.

The site was accidentally discovered during the construction of a link road to the State Road 85 to divert traffic outside the city of Isernia in the late 1970s.

The site preserves a deposit dating back to the Paleolithic that has returned abundant archaeological and paleontological material and is considered of great importance for the reconstruction of the first populations of man in Europe. The field includes four phases of occupation, sealed by alluvial deposits or deposits of volcanic ash, related to human encampments dated to about 700,000 years ago. The finds cover an area of ​​approximately 30,000 m² and include numerous thick and small flint artifacts.

Faunal remains are very abundant and belong to several species. Il bisonte, l'elefante e il rinoceronte sono gli animali più frequenti, mentre meno frequenti sono l'orso, l'ippopotamo, il cinghiale, il daino e il megacero. Nel sito sono stati trovati i resti di Panthera leo fossilis più antichi d'Europa, datati a più di 700.000 anni fa.

Il ritrovamento di un cranio nella campagna di Ceprano, conservato nell'istituto di anatomia patologica dell'università La Sapienza, permette la ricostruzione della fisionomia dell'uomo presente nel sito, con fronte sfuggente e piatta e statura bassa e robusta. La collocazione di questo uomo, ribattezzato come Homo Aeserniensis, è in un'epoca tra l'Homo erectus e l'Homo sapiens.

L'organizzazione degli spazi abitativi rivela una società con una precisa divisione dei compiti su basi sessuali: le donne e i bambini si occupavano della raccolta di erbe, radici e frutti selvatici, mentre gli uomini si occupavano della caccia. Gli ominidi erano radunati in piccoli gruppi a carattere familiare, composti da poche decine di individui. Si presume che possedessero un codice di comunicazione linguistica non limitato ai soli gesti.

Inizialmente le abitazioni erano semplicemente ripari naturali, a cui si aggiunsero capanne costruite con ossa di bisonte e di rinoceronte, zanne di elefante e fogliame. Le zanne di elefante erano impiegate in funzione di pilastri ed il fogliame per la costruzione del tetto.

In base al ritrovamento di chiazze di argilla rossastra e di ossa che, a seguito di analisi, sono risultate essere state esposte a fonti di calore, si ipotizza che fosse conosciuto l'uso del fuoco.

Le industrie litiche provenivano da due settori dell'area abitata, distanti circa 100 m: il primo ha restituito manufatti in selce e calcare, e il secondo in sola selce. Si trovano ai due lati della ferrovia che collega Isernia a Roma.

I manufatti si riferiscono a diverse epoche del paleolitico e questo rende probabile che la materia prima utilizzata per fabbricare gli strumenti si trovasse nei pressi dell'accampamento.

Presso il Museo nazionale paleolitico di Isernia è presente una mostra permanente dell'antica archeosuperficie contenente molti reperti provenienti dal sito. Inoltre sono presenti ricostruzioni del paesaggio preistorico della zona e delle postazioni interattive contenenti tutte le informazioni sul sito stesso. 

• Necropoli della Quadrella. Lungo le strade che conducono fuori dall'antico centro abitato si sono susseguiti diversi ritrovamenti di oggetti funerari, relativi ad alcune necropoli di età romana. Il ritrovamento più importante è stato quello avvenuto nel 1980 in località Quadrella, di una necropoli risalente ai primi secoli dopo Cristo. La zona interessata si trova a sud del centro abitato, dove il Sordo e il Carpino si uniscono a formare il fiume Cavaliere. Le tombe rinvenute erano di tipo "a fosso", ricche di corredo funerario poco eterogeneo, ad indicare una presunta uniformità sociale tra i defunti. Alcuni dei corredi funerari sono attualmente esposti nel museo nazionale di Santa Maria Delle Monache. 

Musei

• Museo nazionale di Santa Maria delle Monache (complesso monumentale di Santa Maria delle Monache). L'Antiquarium, che in questi locali vide la luce nel 1934, è stato riaperto dopo i lavori di restauro effettuati dalla Sovrintendenza archeologica per il Molise.

Sono esposti pezzi lapidei provenienti dall'agro di Isernia, risalenti all'epoca romana e precisamente dell'età repubblicana ed imperiale; tra i pezzi esposti (capitelli corinzi, rocchi di colonne, frammenti architettonici, are votive), ve ne sono alcuni di estremo interesse, come per esempio il rilievo con scena di battaglia, che ripete quella del celebre mosaico di Pompei della battaglia di Isso fra Alessandro e Dario.

Vi sono poi alcuni blocchi di grandi dimensioni con figure di gladiatori, facenti parte di un grandioso monumento esistente in epoca romana in località Taverna della Croce: i pezzi sono stati disposti in modo da dare un'idea di come potesse essere il monumento originario; un telamone raffigurante un barbaro con berretto frigio del I secolo a.C.; un'ara votiva della dea Vittoria-Nemesi dedicata da un certo Attalo al suo padrone Nonio Gallo, generale d'origine isernina che trionfò sui Galli Treviri 29 a.C. ed ancora un rilievo raffigurante il supplizio di Issione, re dei Capiti, legato alla ruota per aver offeso Giove.

Molte sono le iscrizioni e le urne funerarie provenienti dalla necropoli delle Quadrelle, distante qualche chilometro dal centro di Isernia. Infine, degne di nota, sono due grandiose basi onorarie (su cui erano le statue dei titolari andate perdute), una delle quali dedicata a Sesto Apuleio, nipote di Augusto, che fu console nell'anno 14 e l'altra dedicata a Caio Spetu Muleio, quattuorviro e reggitore municipale. 

• Museo paleolitico. La sua esposizione riguarda tutti gli oggetti provenienti dallo scavo archeologico di Isernia La Pineta e comprende sia una sede museale di Santa Maria delle Monache, sia l'area di "La Pineta", dove proseguono gli scavi del paleosuolo. Dal novembre 2015 il Museo del paleolitico è in gestione al Polo museale del Molise.

La struttura presso il sito di La Pineta è concepita come un laboratorio nel quale i visitatori possono assistere ai lavori e dove i reperti provenienti dallo scavo possono essere restaurati, studiati ed esposti al pubblico direttamente sul posto. Momentaneamente i reperti provenienti dall'accampamento sono esposti nella sede di Santa Maria delle Monache.

Contiene la mostra permanente dei reperti paleolitici provenienti dagli scavi di Isernia La Pineta, dal nome del sito che fu abitato circa 736.000 anni fa da ominidi, mediaticamente definiti col nome di Homo Aeserniensis, ma probabilmente, se la datazione venisse confermata, esemplari di Homo erectus, e dove è in costruzione un grande museo con annessa scuola di restauro.

Il giacimento preistorico di Isernia "La Pineta" fu scoperto occasionalmente nel 1978 durante i lavori per la costruzione della superstrada Napoli-Vasto; per l'enorme quantità di reperti rinvenuti o ancora da scoprire rappresenta un'eccezionale documentazione delle fasi più antiche del popolamento del continente europeo e costituisce un punto nodale per lo studio della preistoria italiana ed europea.

Una comunità di uomini primitivi si stanzia a più riprese lungo le rive di un fiume; questi uomini vivono di caccia e di raccolta di frutti selvatici e con le ossa dei grandi animali bonificano il terreno su cui si insediano. Dagli scavi finora effettuati risultano diversi livelli di frequentazione; il sito cioè fu scelto, a distanza di molto tempo, varie volte, ed il giacimento, che copre migliaia di metri quadrati, è molto ricco di strumenti in pietra lavorata mentre i dati palinologici consentono di ricostruire la vegetazione del tempo che doveva essere tipica della savana.

Si può affermare che l'antenato d'Europa abbia costruito il suo primo accampamento ad Isernia. 

• Museo Maci. È un museo di arte contemporanea sito nelle sale del Palazzo della provincia; è il primo in Molise nel suo genere. 

Events and parties

• Processione del Venerdì Santo. La processione del Venerdì Santo percorre tutta la città e riscuote una partecipazione da parte della popolazione davvero numerosa. Molto tradizionale è la presenza degli incappucciati, fedeli che per un voto di penitenza partecipano alla processione incappucciandosi totalmente con un telo bianco (in modo da non permettere a nessuno di essere riconosciuti), e si incoronano la testa con una corona di spine. Molti di loro, per aggravare la penitenza, portano croci e camminano scalzi per tutto il percorso della processione; loro è anche il compito di portare statue della Mater Dolorosa e del Cristo Morto. Le Confraternite della città partecipano alla processione, ognuna con un ruolo ben preciso all'interno del corteo. 

Tradizioni

• Tombolo. A Isernia è molto diffusa da secoli la lavorazione del merletto a tombolo (Isernia è definita anche la città dei merletti). La cosa che più contraddistingue il tombolo isernino è, oltre alla finissima fattura, un tipo di filo prodotto in zona di colore avorio che rende tutto il lavoro più luminoso ed elegante. La sua introduzione nella città è di antichissima origine, si presume infatti che la diffusione risalga al XIV secolo, ad opera di suore spagnole che alloggiavano nel monastero di Santa Maria delle Monache. Col passare del tempo il tombolo viene lavorato sempre meno in maniera artigianale e sempre più in maniera industriale. È anche materia presso l'Istituto Artistico della città. 
• Confraternite. A Isernia sono presenti numerose Confraternite. La più antica è la confraternita "la Fraterna", istituita nel 1289 di Pietro Angelerio (futuro papa Celestino V); poi esistono la confraternita del "Santissimo Rosario", la confraternita "Santa Maria del Suffragio" e la confraternita di "Sant'Antonio. In passato le dispute tra le varie confraternite erano delle vere e proprie lotte di classe, poiché ogni confraternita rappresentava una diversa classe sociale. 

What to do

Shopping

• Centro Commerciale In Piazza, Via Corpo Italiano Di Liberazione, 1, ☎ 39 0865 451068. 
• Centro Commerciale Le Rampe, Via S. Ippolito, 15, ☎ 39 0865 451026. 

How to have fun

• Cinema Lumiere, Via Alcide de Gasperi, 23, ☎ 39 0865 451696. 

Where to eat

Average prices

• 41.59073414.2266461 Ristorante osteria Del Paradiso, Piazza Andrea D'Isernia, ☎ 39 0865 414847. 
• 41.5929614.229822 Ristorante Retrogusto, Via Lo Russo, 42, ☎ 39 0865 3666. 
• 41.59129414.227673 ^{[link not working]}Zolla ristorante, Corso Marcelli 317, ☎ 39 0865 290119. 
• 41.59105114.2276524 Ristorante La Corte Vecchia, Corso Marcelli, 290, ☎ 39 333 4780004. 
• 41.58916814.2262045 Ristorante L'Affresco, Corso Marcelli, 233, ☎ 39 0865 413836. 
• 41.58582614.224516 Ristorante Da Patrizio, Corso Marcelli, 37, ☎ 39 0865 299516. 
• 41.59226414.2280667 Trattoria Antiche Mura, Traversa Occidentale, ☎ 39 0865 299651. 
• 41.5966614.2397218 Pizzeria Teoli, Corso Risorgimento, 167, ☎ 39 0865 26076. 
• 41.58884814.2261319 O'Pizzaiuolo Osteria Ristorante, Corso Marcelli, 214, ☎ 39 0865 412776. 
• 41.59615414.23836510 ^{[link not working]}Kepiadina ristorante, Corso Risorgimento, 128, ☎ 39 333 9940971. 
• 41.60748114.23895311 Pechino (ristorante cinese), Strada Statale 17, ☎ 39 0865 411674. 
• Osteria Nabucco (Verdi), Corso Marcelli, 160 (Centro storico), ☎ 39 338 2533192. 20€. Lun-Dom 12:00-14:00 e 19:00-23:00. Osteria elegante e raffinata, con un giusto connubio tra tradizione e innovazione. 

Where stay

Average prices

• 41.58802714.225661 ^{[link precedentemente non funzionante]}B&B Antica Dimora 191, Corso Marcelli, 191, ☎ 39 0865 410547. 
• 41.58854614.2259942 B&B Il Palazzotto, Piazza Trento e Trieste, ☎ 39 347 6842980. 
• 41.58877614.226093 B&B La Piazzetta, Piazza Annunziata, 10, ☎ 39 348 2665234. 
• 41.60006714.2357664 ^{[link not working]}Albergo Sayonara, via Berta, 131, ☎ 39 0865 26626, 39 347 8538313, fax: 39 0865 415919, @[email protected]. 
• 41.60601314.2387695 Albergo La Tequila, via Tedeschi, 85, ☎ 39 0865 412345, fax: 39 0865 412345, @[email protected]. 

Safety

Pharmacies

Pharmacies

• Dei Pentri, Viale dei Pentri, 163/165, ☎ 39 0865 59963. 
• 41.59651914.2338361 Del Corso, Corso Garibaldi, 48, ☎ 39 0865 57400. 
• 41.59023814.2270112 Di Girolamo, Piazza Mercato, ☎ 39 0865 50625. 
• Fortini, Piazza Carducci, 15, ☎ 39 0865 414123. 
• 41.60846914.2349233 San Lazzaro, Via G. Tedeschi 39/43, ☎ 39 0865 299310. 
• 41.59672914.2388884 Silvestri, Via Lazio, 10, ☎ 39 0865 415753. 

Parafarmacie

• Castaldi, Via Sant'Ippolito, ☎ 39 0865 270092. 
• Verrengia, Corso Garibaldi 321, ☎ 39 0865 299487. 
• Orlando, Corso Risorgimento, 170/172. 
• 41.60705814.2370635 Parafarmacia San Lazzaro, Via Giulio Tedeschi (Centro commerciale Angiolilli), ☎ 39 0865 411196. 

How to keep in touch

Post office

• 41.60045614.2371456 Italian post (Ufficio Isernia centro), Via XXIV Maggio, 243, ☎ 39 0865 471549. 
• 41.59242914.2291467 Italian post (Ufficio Isernia centro storico), Corso Marcelli 16, ☎ 39 0865 29435. 
• 41.60635314.2391778 Italian post (Ufficio Isernia 1), via Vivaldi 21, ☎ 39 0865 29320. 
• 41.59531814.2322369 Italian post (Ufficio Isernia 2), corso Giuseppe Garibaldi 19, ☎ 39 0865 415332. 

Around

• Venafro — Affiora nella parlata e nelle tradizioni la sua lunga appartenenza alla Campania. Città dei Sanniti, poi colonia romana, alle vestigia dell'impero affianca un importante patrimonio urbano medievale, in cui spiccano le numerosissime chiese, purtroppo in gran numero ammalorate.
• Castel di Sangro — Fu città romana, poi feudo dei Borrello; i ruderi del castello medievale e le vicine mura megalitiche testimoniano la passata grandezza della porta d'Abruzzo.
• Agnone — Antica città sannita, conosciuta a livello mondiale per la tradizionale e plurisecolare costruzione artigianale delle campane, ha un interessante centro storico e una dotazione di infrastrutture turistiche in espansione.
• Cassino — Per secoli centro amministrativo dell'antica Terra di San Benedetto, la città si sviluppa ai piedi del colle su cui sorge la celebre abbazia di Montecassino, per la quale è principalmente conosciuta. Vanta però anche importanti testimonianze del suo passato romano: anfiteatro, teatro, mausoleo, ninfeo, mura urbane del parco archeologico Casinum.

Itinerari

• Castelli della provincia di Isernia — Sono numerosi i manieri dell'Appennino molisano nei paesi dell'Alto Molise, dell'Isernino e del Venafrano. Alcuni sono diroccati per vicende belliche o per terremoti; altri sono stati recuperati; molti hanno aspetto militaresco, con poche o nessuna evoluzione architettonica esteriore di trasformazione in dimora signorile.

Informazioni utili

• UIT - Ufficio informazioni turistiche, Piazza Celestino V n. 33, ☎ 39 0865 235209, 39 328 9638237. 10:00-13:00-16:00-19:00 - chiuso martedì. 

Other projects

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

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