Discover Isernia: Archaeology and Mountain Landscapes

Isernia combines prehistory, sacred architectural heritage, traditional crafts, and a distinctive location in a valley.

Holiday apartments in Isernia amid prehistory and mountain landscapes

Isernia and its province lie in the center of a valley between the Monti delle Mainarde to the northwest and the Matese to the southeast. This location gives the surrounding area a clearly defined landscape setting.

The archaeology of Isernia La Pineta

Isernia La Pineta is a Paleolithic archaeological site dating back approximately 700,000 years. The Museo Nazionale del Paleolitico di Isernia is located on the eastern outskirts of the city. Its exhibition includes all the objects from the archaeological excavation at Isernia La Pineta and also presents a faithful reconstruction of a section of the archaeological surface. The site also yielded the fossil of a child who lived 583,000 years ago. A visit to the museum thus provides access to very different scales of the past: from individual finds to the vast span of human history.

Cathedral, sanctuary, and underground visitor route

The Cattedrale di San Pietro Apostolo is located in the historic center of Isernia and stands on an ancient Italic sanctuary dating from the 3rd century BC. Archaeological remains beneath the cathedral are visible through a glass floor. The visitor route to the Temple of Jupiter runs underground beneath the Cattedrale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo and partly beneath the courtyard of the bishop's residence. The Temple of Jupiter was dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.

Fontana Fraterna and Roman traces

The Fontana Fraterna is also known as the Fontana della Fraterna, Fontana della Concezione, Fontana delle Sette Cannelle, or simply Fraterna. It is a public fountain and is considered a landmark of Isernia. Six water outlets, an unusual loggia form, and compact blocks of limestone define its appearance. At the Arco di San Pietro, the lower section is an original 14th-century structure built on a 9th-century foundation. At the inner corners of the two arches stand four Roman statues in togas from the area of the forum.

Museums, bobbin lace, and living memory

The Museo Civico della Memoria e della Storia devotes one section to the American bombing of Isernia on September 10, 1943. At the same time, it displays bobbin-making tools and finished works. Bobbin lace is a very distinctive art from Isernia, practiced by women, which was introduced by the Aragonese in the 15th century. Training in bobbin lace was passed down from mother to daughter and became part of the household tradition.

The Santa Maria delle Monache Archaeological Museum is located in the historic center of Isernia in a former Benedictine monastery. It was established in the early Middle Ages under the patronage of Lombard counts. Another historical site is the Eremo dei Santi Cosma e Damiano: its present architectural structure dates from the 16th century and includes frescoes as well as a collection of votive offerings.

Other places

Sant'Agapito, Castel del Giudice, Pagliaia di Cerro, Conca Casale, Macchiagodena, Sesto Campano, Venafro and Sant'Anna.

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