Pescolanciano between the Castle, Tratturo and Collemeluccio

Pescolanciano is situated on a rocky spur between the valleys of the Trigno River to the east and the Savone stream to the west. If you would like to experience Italian history and landscape together, you will find a townscape here in which the castle, tratturo, ceramics and the Collemeluccio nature reserve offer different ways of discovering the area.

History between the Castle and Tratturo

The earliest historical records of Pescolanciano date from the Samnite period in the 4th century BC and include the remains of a fortified settlement called Santa Maria dei Vignali. The Santa Maria dei Vignali archaeological site also includes the remains of Samnite fortifications and a medieval village. In the historic centre, the townscape develops around the Castel di Sangro–Lucera Tratturo, which retains the character of a grassy path.

Castello D'Alessandro is a pentagonal fortified structure on a rocky promontory overlooking the town. Since the 1980s, it has been formally recognised as a national monument. A noble chapel built in 1628 preserves the relics of Sant'Alessandro. From its foundation in 1790, the castle housed a ceramics factory, which was destroyed by fire in 1798.

Festivals and Ceramic Culture

On 25 July, a sheaf parade known in the local dialect as manuocchi forms a central part of the Sant'Anna festival in Pescolanciano. The Sant'Anna procession passes through Pescolanciano and ends at the Church of the Salvatore, where the grain is blessed. In the preceding days, women weave ears of grain to decorate the town, while families adorn sheaves with flowers. The Museo della ceramica di Pescolanciano “Pasquale M. D'Alessandro” is located in the Taverna del Duca, Via Garibaldi 8, Pescolanciano. The Museo delle Ceramiche is housed in the rooms of the former Taverna del Duca.

Collemeluccio and the Circular Trail

In the Collemeluccio nature reserve in Pescolanciano, the native silver fir occurs both in pure stands and together with Turkey oak. At the Collemeluccio visitor centre and Foresteria, there is a picnic area as well as a camping area for organised groups. The Anello di Collemeluccio begins and ends at the Foresteria Collemeluccio in the nature reserve and is a 6.3-kilometre circular trail with 223 metres of elevation gain and an estimated duration of 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Historic Paths as a Travel Experience

The tratturo passing through Pescolanciano was used for transhumance and connected the mountains of the central Apennines with the sea and the Tavoliere di Puglia. A horseback ride follows the old Castel di Sangro–Lucera Tratturo to Pescolanciano. In addition to historic buildings and festival traditions, the town therefore offers historic paths that bring together the landscape, local history and different ways of travelling through the area.

Other Places in the Same Travel Area

For further orientation: Miranda, Forlì Del Sannio, Chiauci, Castelpetroso, Roccaravindola, Pizzone, Venafro and Conca Casale.

For the higher-level travel overview: Isernia.