In the upper Molise there is a village famous for its wonderful woods dominated by the presence of silver fir and for the working of the stone, practiced by skilled stonemasons since the Middle Ages; we are talking about Pescopennataro. Find out with us!
Pescopennataro is a characteristic mountain village in the upper Molise, probably founded in Norman times in a strategic position to control the entire Sangro valley. The center is in fact located close to a large rock (“pesculum”) which also gives the village its name and still makes the place suggestive today.
Surely the main attraction of the town is that offered by the numerous hiking trails immersed in the most luxuriant greenery and characterized by the presence of numerous silver firs; Pescopennataro in fact boasts two S.I.C. (Sites of Community Interest), that of the “Vallazzuna” wood and that of the “Soprani firs” wood. Near some paths it is also possible to find areas equipped for camping or for out-of-town outings: among these we remember the Abete Bianco park and the Rio Verde locality.
Pescopennataro is also known as “the village of stone” because many master stonemasons active in the upper Molise in medieval times came from here. From 1700 in the village a real school for stone processing was even established and a large part of the population converted to this activity. Today this centuries-old tradition can be retraced by visiting the Chiara Marinelli Civic Museum of Stone which, in addition to presenting a rich section dedicated to Prehistory, preserves many artifacts by the artisans from Pescopennataro. The Fountain of Piazza del Popolo is also a testimony of this rich period; it was in fact made in the mid-1700s in local stone by the master stonemason and designer Nicola De Lallo.
Leaving the center, you cannot also give up a stop at the hermitage of San Luca, an evocative chapel carved into the rock which, according to legend, was the place where the saint took refuge during his journey to Palestine. Today, alongside the hermitage there is a small church and a breathtaking viewpoint.
Silvia Di Menna