Pietrabbondante: the Samnite theatre among the woods of Molise

At over a thousand metres of altitude, in the Alto Molise, the Samnite sanctuary of Pietrabbondante appears when you least expect it: a stretch of grey stone set among the pastures and woods, below the slopes of Monte Saraceno. Here, centuries before Rome dominated the peninsula, the Samnites built one of their most important sacred and civic sites. The theatre, with its tiers and carved seats designed to hold those who attended the assemblies and the performances, is what remains most alive of a civilisation that gave Rome a hard time.

What strikes you most is not only the stone, but the silence. There are no crowds, no queues at the ticket offices, and rarely will you cross paths with more than a few other visitors. You can walk along the remains of the adjacent temple, sit on the steps of the theatre and let your gaze run toward the mountains, imagining the voices of a people who spoke Oscan. It is an intimate, almost private experience of a monument that elsewhere would be taken by storm.

Pietrabbondante is reached by car, along mountain roads that pass through tiny, almost depopulated villages. It is worth stopping in the village of the same name, taking a stroll among the stone houses and eating something genuine in one of the few trattorias. The archaeological site is looked after with care but without frills: no crowds, no souvenir stalls, only history.

To enjoy it at its best, choose late spring or early autumn, when the climate is mild and the light cuts obliquely across the tiers. Avoid the heart of winter, when snow can make access difficult. Pietrabbondante is proof that in Italy there are still extraordinary monuments where the only sound is the wind.

Getting there

The Samnite theatre lies just outside the built-up area of Pietrabbondante, in the Alto Molise in the province of Isernia: by car you arrive by heading up from the Isernia area along the inland roads toward Pescolanciano and Pietrabbondante. The reference railway station is Isernia, from which a few bus connections also depart. The nearest airports are those of Pescara and Naples, both a couple of hours' drive away, so the car is the most practical means.