It so happens that the 2 oldest continuously family-owned firms in the world are Japanese – One constructing shrines and holy buildings since 578, and the other, inn-keeping since 718. And the 3rd oldest continuously family-owned business in the world is in Molise, Italy – in the small town of Agnone where my grandfather’s cousins have been making bells since…
The last undiscovered region of Italy, Molise is also the youngest, until 1963 forming part of Abruzzi e Molise. This split created a region in the Apennine hills, covering 4,440 square kilometres with a population of 300,000. Molise’s density of population is 1/3 of the national average, it is bordered by Abruzzo to the north, Lazio to the west, Campania…
This year the famous winter festival of the ‘Ndocciata was dedicated to San Giovanni Paolo II. This festival originated during Molise’s pre-christian Samnite era and is specific to the town of Agnone. The torches, or ‘ndocce’ were used during tribal shifts that usually took place at night, as s source of light. After the 9th Century, local farmers began to…
Now in London, getting deep into January, I am warming myself up by flipping through pictures of our morning visit in July at the incredible Pietrabbondante, Teatro dei Sanniti. A near private experience – only one small group of Italians arrived as we were climbing back up to the car – the visit was very special. Sitting in the amazingly…
