Montefalcone nel Sannio
Montefalcone nel Sannio: a small town with a great history
Montefalcone nel Sannio is a town in the province of Campobasso, Molise. This beautiful town, with only 1370 inhabitants, has a long and interesting history dating back to the time of the Samnites. There are indeed some hypotheses that confirm the presence of Italic coins in the area, indicating the presence of a Samnite settlement. Moreover, during the period of the Angevins, Montefalcone was a fiefdom of the Cantelmo family, then of the Arcuccio. In the 15th century, it passed under the dominion of Guglionesi, and in 1488 to Gambatesa. Subsequently, the town belonged to the Carafa, De Tufo, and Gargano. But the real birth of Montefalcone happened thanks to the devastating earthquake of 1805, which caused enormous damage to the town but allowed obtaining autonomy thanks to the royal decree of 1861.
The coat of arms and the banner of Montefalcone nel Sannio
The coat of arms and the banner of Montefalcone nel Sannio were granted with the Decree of the President of the Republic of October 19, 2011. The banner is a red cloth.
The monuments and places of interest in Montefalcone nel Sannio
The church of San Silvestro I, Pope, is one of the main tourist attractions of Montefalcone. Founded between the 11th century and the 12th century, it was rebuilt in the 19th century. The interior has three naves with a Latin cross plan and a false dome at the intersection between the central nave and the transept. Something really valuable is the wooden bust of ''Sant'Anna'' from the 15th century, while other works of certain interest are the wooden statues of ''Madonna Immacolata'' and ''Sant'Antonio Abate.'' The ceiling hosts, along the central nave, some paintings made by the Molisan painter Giovanni Leo Paglione between 1979 and 1985, while the stained glass windows depict the symbols of the Saints kept in the church during their placement.
The bell tower, renovated in the 19th century, houses five bells. On the choir, there is an eighteenth-century golden wooden pipe organ. Moreover, of great interest is the Gothic portal of the main entrance arranged on top of a local stone staircase from 1886. The portal, with decorated pointed arches, can certainly be dated back to the 13th century and, most likely, comes from the ancient Benedictine monastery of San Pietro, which once stood on the border between Montefalcone and Castelmauro.
The relic of Saint Anthony of Padua
In the ancona that houses the wooden statue of the patron saint of the city, Saint Anthony of Padua, there is a significant relic of the Saint's body donated by the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua on September 25, 1993. The relic, original and authentic, was taken from the Saint's tomb during the canonical recognition of 1981 and consists of a small portion of ''massa corporis ex cute'' of the mortal remains of Saint Anthony.
Conclusions
Montefalcone nel Sannio is a small town in the province of Campobasso in Molise, but it has a long and interesting history dating back to the time of the Samnites. The church of San Silvestro I, Pope, is one of the main tourist attractions of the town, with valuable wooden works of art dating back to the 15th and 18th centuries. The eighteenth-century golden wooden pipe organ and the Gothic portal of the main entrance arranged on top of a local stone staircase from 1886 are other treasures not to be missed. Finally, the relic of Saint Anthony of Padua, kept in the ancona of the wooden statue of the city's patron saint, is a fascinating testimony to the heritage of faith of Montefalcone nel Sannio.
