In Civitanova del Sannio, in the province of Isernia, there is a rock shelter which, to date, is the first evidence of rock art in Molise. Find out more about the Morricone del Pesco shelter.

Discovered in 2011 by Guido Lastoria, the Morricone del Pesco shelter is the first evidence of rock art in Molise. It is located a short distance from the village of Civitanova del Sannio (in the province of Isernia), along the ancient Lucera-Castel di Sangro sheep track.

Dario Sigari, archaeologist specialized in rock art, studied the complex palimpsest of figures, identifying paintings made with black pigment and schematic engravings. Among the most representative and emblematic paintings stand out animal figures, which allow stylistic comparisons not only with the neighboring regions (mainly Puglia and Abruzzo) but also with the rest of the Italian and European context. The iconography is in fact part of the typical artistic heritage of the late prehistoric-protohistoric and historical Italian rock art tradition. In the current state of research, it is extremely difficult to give a precise temporal attribution. However, the site had to play an important role in the past.

Brunella Muttillo

Photos: D. Sigari