Introduction to the region: Molise

Attribution: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32780

In our digital age, it is rather unheard of to have a region (in this case, of Italy) that is rather unheard of. Many would consider Molise that region, however. For one, it is small, not the smallest, as that designation goes to Valle D’Aosta, yet it takes second place. I taught a student from this region (if you have read a few of my posts, you will notice a trend here. Teaching English to adults in Italy is an excellent way to gain firsthand knowledge of the culture), and this student sheepishly responded to the question, “where are you from?” with “I am sure that you do not know it.” Many of my American friends abroad, myself included, are from distinctive states, Texas, Florida, New York and California, but I have known a few expats from Delaware and Ohio and their introductory conversations resemble this while abroad. “I am from a state called Delaware; you probably don’t know it.” This is often a parallel dynamic for Italians from Molise; sometimes even within Italy, they are met with incredulity, and I will explain why presently. There is a joke/ meme and very popular Facebook group that asserts ‘Molise non esiste’ or ‘Molise doesn’t exist.’ But why? The justification of a so-called Doctor Gregory Donald Johnson is that no Italians can name a traditional Italian dish or a popular song from this region. This is not fair, as I will include dishes recommended by Maggie, a friend with family in Molise, in the Food and Wine post. Another hashtag mocking the ‘existence’ of this region is #molisint, employing English to assert that ‘Molise isn’t’.

But first, here is a historical rationale for why this ‘existence’ joke came into being (ha). Molise was a part of the unified region Abruzzi e Molise until 1963. The two regions were split, but the change did not become official until the year 1970. This makes Molise the second smallest, but youngest, region in Italy. Thus, for many older Italian citizens Molise did not exist for a substantial part of their lifetimes. Because Molise and Abruzzo were joined together for much of their lives, you will find cultural similarities. I will explore this idea a bit further in the Food and Wine section.

A scenic river running in the province of Isernia

The region only has two provinces, Campobasso and Isernia; these also happen to be the names of the largest cities. Like in many regions, I do recommend driving throughout this region and making discoveries on your own. There is beautiful scenery throughout.

Molise does also host a coast(line). I have not explored the coastal areas of the region, as I spent time on the Adriatic coast in the region above (Le Marche, with Abruzzo in between) and below (Puglia), but it would be negligent not to mention the seaside as a component of this region. Termoli is probably the most popular seaside town in Molise, as it has beaches and an old town center with a 12th-13th century cathedral and the Svevo castle from around the same time.