Molise · Isernia
Pizzone
A 313-person Mainarde village at 724 meters in the Molise sector of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, above the Volturno springs.
724m
Elevation
119 km / 74 mi
Nearest hub (Napoli)
313
Population
May–Oct
Best time to visit
Recognised as
Why come
Pizzone sits at 724 meters on the eastern flank of the Mainarde, the limestone range that closes the northern edge of Molise against the Abruzzo border. In 1990 the commune ceded part of its territory to the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, together with Castel San Vincenzo, Rocchetta a Volturno, Filignano and Scapoli; the resulting Mainarde sector added four thousand hectares of high pasture and beech forest to the park. The karst plateau of Forme, on Pizzone's territory, is one of the signature high meadows of the southern Apennines. The Volturno springs at the foot of the range and the Rio Jemmare that crosses Pizzone feed the Castel San Vincenzo lake just below. The village itself is small, 313 residents, stone houses on a ridge under the peaks. Most visitors come for the park, the lake and the abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno a few kilometers north.
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Gallery
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Known for
Mainarde
Limestone mountain range on the Abruzzo-Molise border, the Molise sector of the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise.
Pianoro delle Forme
Karst high meadow on Pizzone's territory, one of the signature plateaus of the southern Apennines and a summer pasture for grazing flocks.
Lago di Castel San Vincenzo
Turquoise artificial lake fed by the Volturno springs at the foot of the Mainarde, four kilometers downhill from the village.
Chiesa di San Marco Evangelista
Parish church of the village, with stone façade and bell tower, the centre of life for the 313 residents.
When to visit
Best months · May–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
May through October is the open season for Pizzone. The Mainarde trails clear of snow by late May and stay walkable into October. June through September is peak: alpine flowers on the Pianoro delle Forme in early summer, summer pasture in July and August, the first turning of the beech woods in late September. The park rangers run guided walks from Pizzone through the summer. November through April is quiet and often closed; snow fills the higher passes, the lake of Castel San Vincenzo freezes at the edges, and the village drops to its winter rhythm of three hundred people and the stove.
How to get there
From Napoli, Pizzone is roughly 119 km by road. Allow about 102–143 minutes depending on traffic and route choice (autostrada vs scenic).
Drive time to the nearest gateway airports
- Naples / Salerno1h 51m
- Rome3h 10m
- Ancona / Pescara4h 2m
Elevation 724 m
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