Molise - Nothing ? No everything

MOLISE 

A REGION WHICH YOU MIGHT THINK HAS NOTHING ... BUT IN FACT HAS

EVERYTHING 

This is the first blog in my new series about the TRATTURI
These are an ancient network of shepherds paths which form a network across Southern Italy

 I have set out on a voyage of discovery to visit all the towns and villages which run alongside the TRATTURO which runs from Celano to Foggia.

As I am formulating plans to walk the WHOLE THING in May 2017.
This is the route we plan to take.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1jwGn_SBeRiYXER3HyA897hqEtiI&ll=41.77742751193855%2C14.532195500000057&z=9
You can join us, and to find out more see www.forgetmenotmolise.com

Santa Croce di Magliano 
A TOWN OF SUBSTANCE
with over 2000 inhabitants its main street, still bustles with life throughout the days as it has done for many, many hundreds of years.
The main route from Puglia it was once gated and housed a toll for many years.

FESTIVALS 
Having visited the town earlier in the year for the festival of when it was full of cattle, and horses I could picture it in times past when the transumanza ran across its borders

THE PLAINS OF PUGLIA
It sits on a hill overlooking the plains of Puglia, where on a bright sunny morning like yesterday the view from the central piazza it was absolutely stupendous.
This photo or indeed any I am able to find including my own do not do it justice.

COME AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELF

HISTORY
I was taken on a guided tour of the town by local archaeologist and historian Pasquale Marino. A young man passionate about the history of Molise.

The town's origins can be traced back to 900 AD, although its roots run deeper into the depths of Italy.s complex formation.
 There were orginally four towers and a wall encircling the town. Now only three towers remain, and virtually nothing of the orginal town walls. 

As a richly woven tapestry
there are threads that can be traced to Albanian immigrants, the Normans, rich families of nobility and the Romans.

 Santa Croce's intricately woven roots can be linked more intricately with the plaited cheeses made for the festival Santa Croce di Magliano, on the last Saturday of April to celebrate the Madonna dell' Incorona

STICKS and STONES
Many interesting tales from the town's past remain,  including bloody battles, marauding brigands and phantoms of the towns long dead.

Santa Croce holds more in it's welcoming arms than incredibly beautiful views, an important chapter in the history of Molise.

It houses an impressive art collection of contemporary art, as well as a trail of wall murals scattered around the streets which add colour and intrigue.

As an art lover, I found the murals in Santa Croce fascinating and evocative. Having wandered many times looking at the street art in the city streets of Campobasso, and the village of Civitcampomarino, I was delighted to discover what Santa Croce has to offer those passionate about art and culture.

Street art in Santa Croce was set up as a memorial to local artist and sculptor

Antonio Giordano.

His daughter Mariano now coordinates the project overseeing it, and she is keen to protect its legacy.

ANIMALS IN ABUNDANCE

This unique little town has its feet firmly placed in the rich fertile soil of the lower Molise region
Cattle, pigs sheep and goats are kept to produce milk for delicious cheeses, tasty hams and salamis.

The Transumanza. 



FARM LIFE

The small family farms are all adept at juggling animal husbandry, Cheese making, olive oil, jams, and meat production.

Most are happy to welcome visitors and often  run workshops in local crafts
Santa Croce di Magliano has so much to offer whether your interests lay in history, art, or nature.
If you want to know more or interested in visiting please contact me by phone, FACEBOOK or email

Penny Barron
molisematters@gmail.com
tel UK 0044 7867 419833
Italy 3280445925

Boars and broken cars

Boars and Broken cars

Have you ever had one of those days? 

You know one of those days when you think life is just getting better, and then BANG it all goes wrong again.

The other day was one of those days.

I have been battling to get things off the ground again and had a really positive meeting with someone in the local town of Santa Croce di Magliano.

Driving back to Lucito via Castelbottaccio, I took a little detour.

I stopped to take some pictures of some ancient old Olive trees, just outside the village of Lupara, then clambered back into my car, to set off again.

The car would not start...

What had happened? 

The clutch had gone. 

So I was going NOWHERE

I LAUGHED.....WHAT ELSE COULD I DO....???

I realised too I had no phone signal so had to wander up the road waving the phone in the air until it eventually picked up a couple of bars

A breakdown was promised in an hour, so I just had to sit and wait. 

In the meantime

A rustle in the undergrowth...........................................................

I glanced around to see ten wild boars

 charge out into the Olive grove beside me.

I did not have a chance to grab my camera,  so just stood watching them for a few minutes. 

When they saw me they took fright disappearing off into the undergrowth.

A few minutes later a larger boar came marching out from the amongst the trees so I thought it safer to clamber back into the car.

He stood staring at me. He seemed to be trying to decide whether I was a threat to him and his family.

Boars rarely attack people unless they feel really threatened or are protecting their young. But there are occasions when they do the results can be quite unpleasant.

Eventually, he must have decided I wasn't and he crashed through the bushes to join the others.

I am used to the countryside and animals so was not unduly worried, although he was rather large.

A boar I met a few months ago was rather more unfortunate. He charged my car, breaking the wing of the car. He carried on crossing the road, with out a scratch on him. Although I am sure he had a headache!

BOARS .... 

There are quite a number of boars here in Molise, and I have even had one trot past my window.

SO WHAT IS A BOAR ?

For those of you, who don't know...

They are wild pigs, related to domestic pigs.

A big solid animal with a big head, and long hefty body. They have a brown bristly coat, with a softer layer underneath.

Molise is famous for the Truffles, which grow in abundance in this area. Boars are rather partial to them, much to the frustration of the local Truffle hunters.

They live deep in the forest and are happy near water, so are often found in the valleys foraging in the undergrowth.

Their diet is a selection of roots, fruit, nuts and any type of vegetation. But they are not particularly fussy eating anything they can get hold of, as they are big animals so have a ferocious appetite 

With poor eyesight, they depend on their sense of smell. They dig a lot creating havoc in the vineyards and Olive groves, as they drive their long noses into the ground like a very effective bulldozer.

The males have tusks and will use them to attack their prey. In the mating season, the males will fight each other in competition for the females.

On the whole, the males prefer their own company, only seeking out the company of the females during the mating season, between November and January.

The babies are very cute, as all small animals are. Initially, they have stripes, which start to fade when they are about three months old. They then get a bit braver and start to trundle off with the others on foraging trips.

By the time they are seven months old the stripes disappear completely becoming a rusty orange brown colour. 

They live until they are about fifteen and twenty years old. Very hardy animals they can survive in all weathers.

Their only predators are us, as many find Wild Boar sausages very tasty,

 Wolves will attack and kill them too, and while there are not as many here as there were they can still many resident here in Molise.

Despite this, they are here in abundance, but like all the animals who can live along side man, we need to leave them to live their lives, while we live ours.

Nature is a question of harmony. 

Here in Molise, one can walk in fields and forest, on sandy beaches, and rocky mountain paths discovering nature's beauty in every corner.

We need to appreciate what we have, and even start to share it just a little more

BACK HOME...

My knight in shining armour came along and he dragged my poor broken car home...THANK YOU

Never mind, I need to loose a bit of weight so will enjoy the extra walking I have to do till I am on the road again....

More blogs on every aspect of life here in Molise, 

molisematters.blogspot.com

molisejustart.blogspot.com