One of the first centers, north of the provincial capital, is, for example, Pietrabbondante, where the most important architectural testimony of pre-Roman Samnium nestles: a civil-religious complex erected in the 2nd century BC by the Pentri Samnites, on the ruins of a previous temple devastated by Hannibal’s Punic armies.
Outstanding are the theater and two temples built on the slopes of Mount Saraceno, overlooking the Trigno river valley, which were part of a sanctuary where Samnite warriors swore oaths of loyalty before each battle. The theater consisted of the cavea and five tiers of seats, ending with a griffin paw frieze; on the podium of one of the temples, some rare inscriptions in the Oscan language are engraved.
Probably, this complex embodies the most monumental part of a wider area, which still preserves many findings and surprises for archaeologists. North of Pietrabbondante lies Agnone, a small town famous for its bells, whose thousand-year history is cast in bronze.
The Pontifical Marinelli Foundry is indeed the oldest bell factory in the world, and its history is recounted in the adjacent Museum, where the Marinelli brothers, descendants of a dynasty of bell founders, have collected models, molds, tools, original documents, ancient texts, bells of all kinds and ages, and all that relates to this noble tradition.
Visiting the workshop, it is also possible to witness the casting process, which takes place using a special technique called “lost wax.”
