Charming old village house in beautiful Molise, one of Italys last truly authentic regions

Typical 100-year-old two-storied stone house in the heart of a tiny southern italian village, overlooking the small Corso, well accessible by car and safe public parking in front of the house. The house has approximatly 80 sqm, consists of two bedrooms with balcony (one with a double bed, one with a single/double bed), a living room (with a foldable sofa bed), a well equipped kitchen with gas stove, wood fired kitchen stove, dishwasher, a bathroom and shower, a cellar with washing machine and a space for creative activity in the attic. Heating is with pellet- and wood stoves.

The house is in Provvidenti, Molise.

About the location

Molise is one of last truly authentic Italian regions (see guardian article from September 2021), and one of least known to tourists. The nearest international airports are Pescara (80km), Foggia (80km), Bari (200km) and Naples (200km), Rome (all connected by public transport).

Provvidenti is situated in the hills at 550 m asl, about 35 min from the Adriatic Sea and 40 min from Campobasso, the regional capital. It has only 80 inhabitants which makes it one of the smallest communities in Italy. It's a very calm und safe place.
You won’t find rarely any tourists here and although it has a beautiful medieval centre, there are no special attractions and except a pizzeria and a bakery there aren’t any shops (wide selection of shops 5km away). But if you like to smell of hey or homemade salsa, hear nightingales and owls, see sheep grazing around the village and don’t mind the occasional tractor passing or neighbours sitting outside in front of their houses chattering and playing cards, then Provvidenti is for you.


There is lots of good hiking, biking and horse riding in the immediate surroundings of Provvidenti, especially on the ancient tratturo (sheep highway), that passes nearby. The villages near Provvidenti (Casacalenda, Morrone, Ripabottoni, Civitacampomarano, Larino, Guardialfiera) are all pleasant and beautiful with interesting little museums, castles, antiquities, churches, bars and restaurants.
The coastline of Molise is only 35 km long, but it has some of the last remaining dune and pine landscapes on the Italian Adriatic. The fishing towns of Termoli and Campomarino and their blue flagged beaches (for excellent water quality) are both 40 min from Provvidenti, with lidi where you can rent an umbrella and free beaches, but we prefer the free beaches of Petacciato with their dunes and pine forests.

For more extended sight-seeing there are the archeological sites of Saepinum, an ancient roman city just like Ostia or Pompeij (but smaller and without the crowds), Italic pre-roman temples and theaters, the wonderful city of Agnone with its traditional bell foundry, the abbey of San Vincenzo, the WW2 museum of the Winterline in Venafro, the castle of Gambatesa, just to name a few, or the Tremiti Islands with their crystal clear water and the many other attractions of nearby Puglia.

As Molise is is still highly traditional and has preserved many of its millennial traditions, you might have the chance to see ox-cart-races in San Martino in Pensilis and Ururi, processions of white cows pulling flower adorned carts (festa di San Pardo, Larino), tableaux vivants of saint’s lifes paraded through the city (Misteri di Campobasso), or the lunch in honor of Saint Joseph where everyone is invited (Tavolate di San Giuseppe, Casacalenda, Montorio nei Frentani) and many others.

You can try the large variety of genuine food and wine of the region in small restaurants or the many agriturisms that all offer their own produce.
If you are interested in participating in agricultural activity (especially olives) or trailriding/horseriding summer camp for children I can arrange that for you with my friends and of course I know where to buy the best bread, cheese or salsicce.

Some links for further information about the region:
https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/guides/escapade-au-molise-une-region-sublime-que-les-italiens-ignorent-eux-memes-20240312
https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/10/20/molise-italy-tourism/
www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/sep/07/molise-italy-beaches-villages-towns-the-answer-to-your-holiday-dreams

www.bbc.com/travel/article/20191023-the-italian-region-that-doesnt-exist
edition.cnn.com/travel/article/molise-italy/index.html
www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/travel/italy-puglia-molise-cattle-drive.html
www.visitmolise.eu

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