Full day activity - Visit to Pietrabbondante & Agnone

Spend the day in two of the most culturally significant areas of Alto Molise.

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​First visit the town of Pietroabbondante

Pietrabbondante was a thriving Samnite town in the 6th century BC and archaeological  explorations  have revealed it to have been an important town and indeed it is widely thought to have been the location of assemblies of the Samnite government. Excavations of the ancient Samnite town have unearthed an important theatre-temple complex  which consists of a horse-shoe shaped theatre, a temple and two buildings. The theatre could seat  2500 spectators and has excellent acoustics.

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Present Day Pietrabbondante

The town of Pietrabbondante is situated at the base of towering rocks called "Morg" Caraceni, which are located at the foot of a mountain on whose slopes have been found many megalithic remains. The town is also rich in flora, bordering large expanses of conifers and hardwoods.

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Agnone

Next visit the hilltop town of Agnone, home to the world-famous Marinelli Pontifical Bell Foundry. It is the oldest foundry in Italy and one of the oldest in the world specialising in the art of bells. The village of Agnone was home to several family dynasties that specialized in crafting bells, but the Marinelli Pontifical Bell Foundry is the only one that has survived eight centuries of repeatedly handing down this ancient art from father to son.

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The Marinelli foundry made and gifted a large number of bells to create the Bodega Bay memorial which was created following the death of ​Nicholas Green, an American child shot dead during a robbery by criminals in Italy, where his family were on vacation in 1994. Nicholas and his family became famous when almost every organ or body part was donated to those in need in Italy, following his death. The donations sparked a huge national discussion into organ donation in Italy, kick starting a national donation program.

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