Agnone

Agnone has a history stretching back thousands of years and a heritage of craftsmanship, such as the working of metals, including gold, bronze, iron and copper. This art developed in the 11th century as a result of the arrival of artisans from the Veneto region who founded the Venetian quarter in Agnone, with workshops and lion sculptures on the façades of buildings. Of the many historic foundries, today only the Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli remains, with a thousand years of history: it is the oldest foundry in Italy and one of the oldest in the world, traditionally specialising in bell-making. Copper craftsmanship is still flourishing, and traces of industrial archaeology can be seen, such as the Antiche Fonderie (Old Foundries) that utilised the sustainable energy provided by the river nearby. Another familiar traditional profession was woodworking, particularly carving, and every church has precious gilded wooden statues and altars. Agnone was known as a Città Regia (Royal City) due to its importance and, in addition to its 22 churches, it has much splendid architecture, with aristocratic mansions and ancient monasteries.
The town is located along a sinuous ridge, among farmed hills and high unspoilt mountains with high pastures that are used to make exceptional dairy products, in addition to ancient confectionery traditions.
‘Ndocciata’, a festival of pagan origin, is the historic and evocative fire festival held twice a year, in December, and it has become a nationally-famous event. Thousands of fir torches arranged in different ways and carried by men are paraded through the village to celebrate the winter solstice.