What is Morcone known for?

Polygonal stones from the 5th century BC, foundation of the medieval castle, evidence of the Sannite oppidum Mucrae. Francesco Forgione completed his Capuchin novitiate at the Morcone convent in 1903-1904 before becoming Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. Covered passages that thread the five concentric rings of the centro storico, with maronnelle shrines at the corners.

Morcone is a comune in the province of Benevento, Campania region of Italy, about 101 kilometers from Foggia.

Campania · Benevento

Morcone

A Sannite hill town at 600 meters above the Tammaro valley, with 5th-century BC walls and the convent where Padre Pio took vows.

600m

Elevation

101 km / 63 mi

Nearest hub (Foggia)

4,515

Population

May–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Morcone sits at 600 meters on a hill above the Tammaro valley in northern Benevento province, the gateway to the Matese massif and the border with Molise. The site was the Sannite oppidum Mucrae, one of the strongholds of the Sanniti Pentri, and its polygonal stone walls from the 5th century BC still form the foundation of the medieval castle on the summit. After the Sannite Wars the settlement passed to Rome, then in 776 AD became a Lombard gastaldate within the Duchy of Benevento, then Norman in the 11th and 12th centuries on the trade route between Benevento, Molise and Puglia. The centro storico is built in white limestone, stacked up the hill in five concentric rings connected by stairs, covered passages called ri supporti and votive shrines called maronnelle. The Capuchin convent on the lower slope was founded in 1603; Francesco Forgione, the future Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, took his vows here as a novice between January 1903 and January 1904.

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Gallery

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Known for

Centro storico di Morcone
Five concentric rings of white limestone houses connected by stairs, covered passages called ri supporti and small votive shrines called maronnelle.
Mura poligonali sannite
Polygonal stone walls dating from the 5th century BC, foundation of the medieval castle on the summit, surviving evidence of the Sannite oppidum Mucrae.
Convento dei Cappuccini
Capuchin convent founded 1603 on the lower slope, where the future Padre Pio of Pietrelcina completed his novitiate between January 1903 and January 1904.
Castello di Morcone
Norman castle on the highest point of the hill, built atop the Sannite walls in the 11th-12th centuries to control the routes to Molise and Puglia.
Monti del Matese
Limestone massif rising west of town to the Molise border, hiking and grazing country, included in the regional park of the Matese.

When to visit

Best months · May–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through October is the comfortable window at 600 meters. June and September are the prime months: temperatures sit in the low twenties, the Matese trails are open, and the town runs the Borgo Sannita summer program of concerts in the centro storico. July and August can push above 30 degrees on the lower slope but the upper rings stay several degrees cooler than the Tammaro valley. November through April is mountain weather: rain, fog, occasional snow on the Matese above 1,200 meters, and many of the small businesses keep reduced hours. The patron San Bernardino is celebrated on 20 May with a procession through the maronnelle shrines.