"Il Molise non esiste" — except it does. A complete Roman city where sheep graze between columns (Sepino), the world's oldest bell foundry (Agnone, since 1339), a Samnite temple at 1,000m (Pietrabbondante), and a walled Adriatic town (Termoli). 3 days in the region Italy forgot.
Each day is a logical geographic loop. Mornings for sights, afternoons for food, evenings for aperitivo. Car essential.
Day 1: Campobasso + Sepino. Campobasso — Castello Monforte, the Sagra dei Misteri (if late May/June — children suspended 4m on hidden iron structures through the streets). Drive to Sepino/Altilia (30 min) — the most intact and least visited Roman city in Italy. Forum, basilica, theatre, walls, 4 gates. Sheep between the columns. FREE. Always open. Day 2: Agnone + Pietrabbondante. Agnone — Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli (bells for the Vatican since 1339, museum). Pietrabbondante (30 min) — Samnite theatre-temple complex at 1,000m. Stone seats shaped to fit the human body. Pre-Roman Italy at its most dignified. Day 3: Termoli + Tremiti. Termoli — walled old town on the promontory, Swabian castle, 6th-century mosaic floor in the cathedral. Ferry to Tremiti Islands (1h) if time — or beach day on the Molise coast.
Best time: April-June, September-October (summer for mountains/beaches). Agriturismi/rifugi 60-120/night.