The nameMolise appeared for the first time during theHigh Middle Ages as the name of a norman county located roughly in the territory between thecomuni ofTorella del Sannio andDuronia, both in Molise.[11] The county's name came from the name of the family that governed it, thede' Moulins.
Molise has a surface area of 4,460.65 km2 (1,722 sq mi), and it is bordered byAbruzzo to the north,Apulia to the east,Lazio to the west, andCampania to the south. It has 35 kilometres (22 miles) of sandy coastline to the northeast, lying on theAdriatic Sea looking out toward theTremiti Islands. The countryside of Molise is mostly mountainous, with 55% covered by mountains and most of the rest by hills that go down to the sea.[12]
Molise's territory is mostly mountainous, and the mountainous area spans between theAppennino campano and theAppennino sannita, both tracts of the much longer mountain range of theApennines. The region also features theMonti della Meta, a minor massif that defines the border between Molise,Lazio andAbruzzo, theMonti delle Mainarde and theMonti del Matese, both minor mountain chains.[13]
Part of the border between Molise andAbruzzo is defined by the course of theTrigno, and part of the border between Molise andApulia (Province of Foggia) is defined by there course of theFortore. Other important rivers are theBiferno and theSangro. TheVolturno, the main river in southern Italy in terms of length and basin size, and theTammaro originate in Molise. The region is in general very rich in water resources.
Molise does not have on its territory natural lakes of relevant size. The biggest lakes in the region are theLago di Guardialfiera and theLago di Occhito, both artificial lakes, the latter being shared with Apulia.
Evidence found in thearcheological site ofIsernia La Pineta shows that Molise was inhabited as far back as thePaleolithic period. In this specific site traces of human presence dating up to 700 000 years ago were found, making Isernia La Pineta one of the most ancient and important sites in Italy and Western Europe. The fossil of a child that lived 583 000 years ago was found here, too, alongside the remains of animals and plants.[14]
Before the Romans arrived, Molise was part of the historical region ofSamnium, and was thus inhabited by populations ofsamnite heritage. The tribe of thePenti settled around the 7th century BC the area that is today comprehended in the city ofIsernia and the country aroundCampobasso, having frequent contacts with theFrentani, anItalic tribe that descended from the Samnites. Since the 4th century BC, theRoman Republic's expansionist aspiration caused the Samnites to collide with the Romans. This contact eventually sparked theSamnite Wars.
During the Second and the Third Samnite War the major cities such as Isernia andBojano, which had been the Pentri's capital, were captured by the Romans, although the Samnites were completely defeated and their territory was effectively conquered only afterSulla won theSocial War. UnderAugustus Molise's territory was placed under theRegio IV Samnium.
Molise's economy and demographics declined greatly during thelate antiquity, and when theLombards arrived they found the region to be not densely populated and lacking of important urban centers.
Many of the towns and villages of the region were founded under the Lombard domination, and the Lombards were also responsible in the diffusion of the cult ofSaint Michael.
Between the 9th and the 11th century Molise was then ruled by theNormans. In 1045Rudolf of Moulins descendend in southern Italy alongside theHauteville family, conquering what then became the County of Bojano. In this period of time, the area was starrting to be calledcomitatus molisii probably because of the Moulins', the ruling family's, name. After the Moulins lost power around the end of the 11th century, the County organically dismantled in smallerfiefs.
After the reforms made byFrederick II, theContado diMolise became the seat of ajusticiarate of which the administration was conjoined with the one of theTerra di Lavoro, forming a single administrative district: theJustitiaratus Molisii et Terra Laboris.
In 1538 Molise was separated from theTerra di Lavoro and integrated within theCapitanata, until in 1806Joseph Bonaparte extended the french administrative model, based on provinces, to theKingdom of Naples. In 1811 the borders of the provinces had been practically totally defined, and the Province of Molise's territory reached roughly the area that it has today.
From 1817 the Province went through a crisis because of the presence on the territory of phenomena ofbrigandage.
Agriculture, involving small and micro holdings, is currently offering high-quality products. The agricultural holdings produce wine, cereals, olive oil, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Traditional products areGrass Pea (cicerchia) andFarro. Molise's autochthonous grape isTintilia which has been rediscovered during the last ten years, and many other PDO (DOP) wines, both red and white.
Though there is a largeFiat plant (Termoli), the industrial sector is dominated by the farming industry with small and medium-sized farms spread widely throughout the region. Another important industry is food processing: pasta, meat, milk products, oil and wine are the traditional products of the region. In the services sector the most important industries are distribution, hotels and catering, followed by transport and communications, banking and insurance. With few exceptions, in all sectors firms are small, and this explains the difficulties encountered when marketing products on a national scale.[16]
International tourism is growing largely as a result of the recent opening of international flights from other European countries toPescara Airport, which is not far to the north in Abruzzo and connected to Molise by theA14 highway (the only highway passing through Molise, by Termoli).
Molise has many small and picturesque villages. Four of them have been selected byI Borghi più belli d'Italia (English:'The most beautiful villages of Italy'),[18] a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest,[19] founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities.[20]
The density of the population in Molise is well below the national average, at 64.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to a national figure of 195.1. The region is subdivided into two provinces:Campobasso andIsernia, which together cover 1.5% of Italy's territory and less than 1% of its population. The larger province in terms of area is Campobasso at 2,909 km2, while the smaller is Isernia at 1,529 km2. The province of Campobasso is the more densely populated of the two provinces, with 79.4 inhabitants per km2, whereas Isernia registers 58.9 inhabitants per km2.[23] As of 2025, the 3 largest municipalities by population areCampobasso at 47,519, Termoli at 31,858 and Isernia at 20,616.
In the period 1951–71, large-scale emigration to other countries of the European Union, to other parts of Italy and overseas led to a significant decline in the population of Molise. Negative net migration persisted until 1981. Large-scale emigration has caused many of the smaller towns and villages to lose over 60% of their population, while only a small number of larger towns have recorded significant gains. From 1982 to 1994, net migration has been positive, then followed by a negative trend until 2001. Between 2011 and 2021, the population decreased by 6.9%.
The region is home to two main ethnic minorities: theMolisan Croats (20,000 people who speak an old Dalmatian dialect of Croatian alongside Italian), and those who speak theArbëresh dialect of Albanian in five towns of "basso Molise" in the province of Campobasso.
The cuisine of Molise is similar to thecuisine of Abruzzo, though there are some differences in the dishes and ingredients. The flavors of Molise are dominated by the many aromaticherbs that grow there. Some of the characteristic foods include spicysalami, a variety of locally producedcheeses, dishes usinglamb orgoat,pasta dishes with hearty sauces, and vegetables that grow in the region.
In addition tobruschetta, a typicalantipasto will consist of any of several meat dishes, such as the sausagescapocollo, thefennel-seasoned salsiccie al finocchio,soppressata,ventricina, frascateglie or sanguinaccio. In addition to these sausages, a variety ofham is available, such as smokedprosciutto. Frequently, the sausages are enjoyed withpolenta.
Main dishes of the region include:
Brodosini made oftagliatelle in broth with pork cheek and fat
Spaghetti with diavolillo, a strong chili pepper sauce
Zuppa di cardi, a soup ofcardoons, tomatoes, onions,pancetta, olive oil
Zuppa di ortiche, a soup ofnettle stems, tomatoes, onions, pancetta, olive oil
Common second dishes (often meat and vegetable dishes) are:
Lamb, the most popular meat, served grilled, roasted, or stewed
Many organ meats of lamb, especiallytripe, are popular
Coniglio alla molisana, grilled rabbit pieces skewered with sausage and herbs
Mazzarelle, tightly wrapped rolls made with lung and tripe of lamb
Ragù d' agnello, braised lamb with sweet peppers, a specialty of Isernia
Torcinelli, rolled strips of lamb tripe, sweetbreads, and liver
Pamparella or pork pancetta dried with peperoncino, soaked in wine and cut into small pieces. Pamparella is used to flavor sauces, in particular the sauce for dressing the tacconi, a rustic pasta made with flour and water.
Saucicc', Paparuol' e Ova Fritte, sausage with sweet pepper and fried eggs
Peeled sweet peppers stuffed with breadcrumbs, anchovies, parsley,basil and peperoncino, sautéed in a frying pan and cooked with chopped tomatoes
Cipollacci con pecorino, fried strong onions and pecorino cheese
Frittata con basilico e cipolle, omelette with basil and onions
Fish dishes include red mullet soup, and spaghetti withcuttlefish.Trout from theBiferno river is notable for its flavor, and is cooked with a simple but tasty sauce of aromatic herbs. Zuppa di pesce, a fish stew, is a specialty ofTermoli.
The cheeses produced in Molise are not very different from those produced in Abruzzo. The more common ones are Burrino and Manteca, soft, buttery cow's-milk cheeses; Pecorino, sheep's-milk cheese, served young and soft or aged and hard, called also "Maciuocco" in Molise; Scamorza, bland cow's-milk cheese, often served grilled; andCaciocavallo, sheep's-milk cheese.
Sweets and desserts have an ancient tradition here and are linked to the history of the territory and to religious and family festivities. Most common are:
Calciumi (also calledcaucioni orcauciuni), sweetravioli filled with chestnuts, almonds, chocolate, vanilla, cooked winemusts, and cinnamon and then fried
Ciambelline, ring-shaped cakes made in the countryside. They may beall'olio (with olive oil) oral vino rosso (with red wine).
Ferratelle all'anice, anise cakes made in metal molds and stamped with special patterns
Ricotta pizza, a cake pan filled with a blend of ricotta cheese, sugar, flour, butter, maraschino liqueur, and chocolate chips[26]
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