The Misteri offer a special way to discover Campobasso: at the museum, you can view their mechanical structures; during the Corpus Christi festival, they travel through the streets as procession machines. Art, engineering and tradition meet here in different forms. If you would like to discover more of the city’s history, museums, churches and public green spaces offer further subjects to explore.
The Misteri: Mechanics in the museum, procession through the streets
The Museo dei Misteri presents the mechanical “Ingegni” created by Paolo Saverio di Zinno. In its main room, the Sala degli Ingegni “Cosmo Teberino,” you can see thirteen “bare” machines and their structural and artistic features. The museum also includes two exhibition rooms and a screening room. This allows you to focus not only on the design of the individual machines, but also on the museum’s different spaces.
On Corpus Christi Sunday, thirteen procession machines, carried on the shoulders of their bearers, make their way through Campobasso. The sculptor Paolo Saverio Di Zinno designed and created them in the mid-18th century. The museum and the procession show two sides of the same subject: here you can examine the machines and how they are built; there, you can see them in motion on the streets. As the procession takes place on a specific feast day, check the event date and the precise arrangements before your trip.
The connection between tradition and public art continues in San Giovanni dei Gelsi. The neighborhood has been transformed into an open-air museum of street art; it also has a street-art trail dedicated to the traditional Misteri festival. If you are interested in the festival tradition, you can discover not only the mechanical works but also their artistic interpretation in the urban landscape.
Archaeological finds and historic buildings
Founded in 1881, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale has been housed in Palazzo Mazzarotta since 1995 and is open to visitors there. Its collection spans prehistory to the Middle Ages, with a strong focus on Samnite finds. The archaeological material also includes pieces from, among other places, Campomarino, Guglionesi, Larino, Sepino, Campochiaro and Castello Monforte. Here, you can encounter both a broad historical span and objects associated with these places. Visitor arrangements may change, so check the details before your visit.
Churches and theaters also offer insights into different chapters of the city’s history. In 1572, the Congrega delle Maestranze converted the Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate from an oratory outside the city walls into a church. It preserves works by Francesco Guarino da Solofra, Scipione Cecere, Paolo Saverio Di Zinno, Amedeo Trivisonno and Leo Paglione. The Chiesa di San Giorgio dates from the 14th century. Its frescoes depict the Church Fathers, the Evangelists and scenes from Genesis.
The Teatro Savoia was built between 1923 and 1925. Frescoes by Arnaldo De Lisio, dating from 1925, decorate the entrance, the foyer and the ceiling above the auditorium. The Convitto Nazionale Mario Pagano also has artistically decorated spaces: the Aula Magna features paintings by Romeo Musa, while the oratory has three large frescoes by Amedeo Trivisonno. Check visitor arrangements in advance if you plan to visit the interiors.
Green spaces, outdoor art and a local flavor
Villa De Capoa combines the features of a botanical garden and an urban villa. Its park is home to, among other trees, tall sequoias, majestic cedars of Lebanon, cypresses, Norway spruces and linden trees. The garden of the Convitto Nazionale Mario Pagano, laid out in the late 19th century, contains a different selection of rare species, including the giant sequoia, Ginkgo biloba and the cedar of Lebanon. Comparing the two gardens takes you from a varied park planting to a selection specifically described as containing rare species.
Parco Eduardo De Filippo is the most significant green space in the San Giovanni neighborhood. Its varied planting is complemented by a play area, sports facilities and works of contemporary art. The Festival Nazionale del Teatro Popolare e della Tradizione takes place there in summer. If you would like to attend, check the dates before your trip. Another regular date in the annual calendar is May 31: every year, on this day, the particularly venerated statue of the Virgin Mary from the Santuario di Santa Maria del Monte is carried in procession.
L’Abatina is another of the city’s special discoveries. This spicy De.Co. product is a sausage that is placed under a press after being stuffed. This gives it its flat shape when served, too. The preparation described makes it clear what sets this specialty apart.
Getting around on foot and at the station
Below Castello Monforte, you can explore Campobasso on foot along narrow, rustic streets on the hillside and via stairways.
Campobasso station has a bus stop, bicycle parking, cycle paths, parking for cars and motorcycles, and electric vehicle charging stations. The station also provides an assistance service for people with disabilities or reduced mobility and has three passenger tracks. As some station services may change, check the information you need for your trip in advance.
Discover more destinations: Marina Di Montenero, Castropignano, Ripabottoni, Termoli, San Biase, Montecilfone, Campobasso, Montenero Di Bisaccia, San Martino In Pensilis, Campomarino, Roccavivara, Guglionesi, Campodipietra, Lido Campomarino, San Massimo, Portocannone, Cercemaggiore, Petacciato, Sant'angelo Limosano, Rotello, Guardialfiera, Guardiaregia, Tavenna, Riccia, Vinchiaturo, Larino, San Leonardo, Acquaviva Collecroce, Mafalda, Colle d'Anchise, Castelbottaccio, Sepino, Matrice, San Giuliano del Sannio, Montagano, Ururi, Montorio nei Frentani, Ferrazzano, Palata, Bojano, Oratino, Monteverde, Montefalcone nel Sannio, Ripalimosani, Pietracatella, Limosano.
For the main travel overview: Molise.
