What is Larino known for?

First-century Roman arena seating 12,000, the largest surviving classical monument in Molise. Procession of around 130 flower-decked ox carts on 25 to 27 May, retracing the eleventh-century translation of the patron's relics. Gothic cathedral completed in 1319, raised to minor basilica in 1928, with a portal carved by Francesco Petrini of Lanciano.

Larino is a comune in the province of Campobasso, Molise region of Italy, about 108 kilometers from Foggia.

Molise · Campobasso

Larino

A 341-meter Frentani and Roman town in the lower Biferno valley, with a 12,000-seat amphitheatre and a Gothic cathedral consecrated in 1319.

108 km / 67 mi

Nearest hub (Foggia)

6,366

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Città dell'Olio

Why come

Larino sitsin the lower Biferno valley, twenty kilometers inland from Termoli. The Frentani held the place before Rome and minted bronze coins here in the third century BC; the wool trade made it a regional centre. The orator Cicero defended a Larino-born equestrian, Aulus Cluentius Habitus, in his Pro Cluentio of 66 BC. A wealthy citizen built the elliptical amphitheatre in the first century AD, a hundred meters along the major axis and seating twelve thousand. The Gothic Cattedrale di San Pardo, completed in 1319 with a portal by Francesco Petrini of Lanciano, was raised to minor basilica by Pius XI in 1928. Every 25 to 27 May the town runs the Carrese di San Pardo, a three-day procession of around 130 flower-decked carts pulled by oxen, retracing the eleventh-century translation of the patron's relics from Daunia. The surrounding hills carry the Città dell'Olio mark.

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Gallery

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Known for

Anfiteatro Romano
Elliptical first-century amphitheatre, 100 by 80 meters, with capacity for 12,000 spectators, built by a Larinum citizen who made his fortune in Rome.
Cattedrale di San Pardo
Gothic cathedral completed in 1319 with a portal by Francesco Petrini of Lanciano, raised to minor basilica by Pius XI in 1928.
Centro storico (borgo)
Medieval old town stretched along the ridge above the Roman remains, with Renaissance palazzi and narrow stone streets.
Area archeologica di Larinum
Roman city remains around the amphitheatre, including streets, baths, and forum fragments from the Augustan period onward.
Museo Civico
Town museum holding Frentani-era coins, Roman inscriptions, and material from the Cluentius family era.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through October is the working season. May is the month most travellers come for: the three-day Carrese di San Pardo runs 25 to 27 May, with around 130 flower-decked ox carts moving through the town. June and September keep the Roman amphitheatre and cathedral comfortable to walk. July and August touch the high thirties in the lower Biferno valley and the centro storico empties between two and five. The olive harvest occupies late October and November in the surrounding hills. Winter is quiet, with valley fog and many restaurants on reduced winter hours.