Molise is arguably Italy’s last great frontierhere’s why you should visit the region.
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Located along the Adriatic Coast in central southern Italy is the quasi-anonymous, blink-and-youll-miss-it region of Molise.
Few have ever heard of it, and even fewer have visited.
Old town of Pesche in Molise.Credit:e55evu/Getty Images
For such a small destination, Molise packs quite the punch when it comes to geographic diversity.
Its small size, while often overlooked, is also the regions superpower.
Yet, somehow, the region is hardly even a whisper in international travel circles.
Agnone valley in Molise.Asia Palomba/Travel + Leisure
When mentioned, it conjures quizzical brows and blank looks.
To some degree, this anonymity is understandable.
That number is quickly dwindling due to depopulationsome towns have not experienced a birth in more than a decade.
Modern town of Pietrabbondante.Asia Palomba/Travel + Leisure
I know this because my father is from the region.
My visits, as is the case in many Italian households, revolve completely around locally sourced foods.
Starters are usually plates heaped with chunks of the teardrop-shaped caciocavallo cheese and thick medallions of soppressata.
Samnite archaeological complex in Pietrabbondante.Asia Palomba/Travel + Leisure
For as much nature, theres an equal amount of culture, too.
(For reference, the Colosseum was inaugurated in 80 C.E.
).Ticketscost less than $7.
Some men even carry giant fan-like structures on their shoulders composed of up to 26 lit torches.
Built around the 17th century, it sits at the heart of Campobasso, the regions capital.
Its seven suites are an eclectic mix of modern and historic.
These are but a few of the treasures that await in Molise, the Wild West of my dreams.
Molise does not just exist, but it resists, and its just waiting to be discovered.
