FROSOLONE....Home of the scissors makers and
MUCH
more..
 Map of Molise
Frosolone is located in
the Molise Region of Central Italy, which is bordered on the North by the Abruzzi, in the West
by
the Lazio, in the South by the Campania and Puglie Regions, and in the East by the Adriatic Sea.
It is located at 894 m above sea level (2,933 ft) on the Eastern slope of the Apennines.
The highest elevation in its territory is called La Montagnola. (1,421 m or 4662 ft).
Brief History of Frosolone
- The area that Frosolone sits on was originally inhabited by
members of the "Sanniti"
and "Osci" Italic tribes, which were conquered by the Romans after a long and bitter struggle
(the
Sannites inflicted the Roman army their only defeat in Italian Peninsula at the Forche Caudine,
near the modern Benevento). There are remnants of "cyclopic" walls in locality "Civitelle",
indicating, as its name also implies, the presence of a small fortress which was most probably
destroyed by the Roman Army during the year 293 B.C. (the Roman historian Livius describes the march of two Roman armies, headed respectively by the Consuls for that year Carvilius and Papirius. They met at the Civitelle, where they stopped for a time).
- On the mountain several monasteries were located, among them St. Martino and St.
Onofrio. Building blocks still exist there, as well as a stone stela, near an adjacent spring,
bearing
the date 1339 and the line "Siste et bibe, viator" (Rest and drink, voyager).
 Small Fountain
- The first mention of the town's name was in a "diploma" dated 1064 A.C., by the Count of
Isernia.
Many families had Frosolone in their feuds, the last being the Marquis of Leporano, who in June
13, 1810 was ordered to cease exacting fees from the Town.
Undoubtely much had to do on this decision the terrible earthquake of July 26, 1805 which
destroyed most of the buildings and damaged heavily the few remaining ones, killed 518 people
and maimed hundreds more. It was a very warm night and many inhabitants were sleeping in the
open, ready to thresh their weath and escaped death.
The decade of 1860-70 was a momentous one. In 1860 Frosolone was officially annexed to the
Kingdom of Italy; bandits were eliminated from the countryside; in 1864 the Post Office was
opened; in 1866 the kerosene public lighting system was installed at the then large outlay of
4,000
liras.
In 1876 the Town opened, at its own expense, the Telegraph Office. In 1898 electricity was
produced in a hydro station and introduced for the public lighting system, ahead of many much
larger Italian cities, by the local Fazioli, Ruberto & c. Company. At the same time the
company built a plant with several departments, a wool mill complete with looms, a grain mill
and
a pasta plant (all operated by electric motors). My maternal grandfather, Giovanni Di Iorio, was
a
founder shareholder, and the president of the company to his death at age 83. He was the brain,
heart and soul of the company.
- Dozens of artisan family shops were operational ( some still are) in Frosolone for hundreds
of years, producing pocket and utility knives, scissors and shears, sheaves and similar items.
Those products achieved fame for durability and performance, if not for their aesthetic qualities.
Due to the independent streaks of the populations, Co-ops never enjoyed a long life, the artisans
choosing to struggle by themselves, as many mountain people are known to prefer.
A page on our artisans will provide more details.
Of Interest in Frosolone:
- CAPPELLA S. MARIA delle GRAZIE, next to the former Convent of Cappuccini.
-
Quite recently a large, magnificent wooden altar built in the XVII century has been reinstalled, after extensive restoration. It contains nine valuable paintings, of the Neapolitan and Umbrian schools.
- WIND MILLS.
- Since 1980
Enel has measured
wind speed in 55 locations in Italy, in preparation for installing modern wind mills. In Frosolone
they have found the second highest speed ( 6.7 m/sec annual average, against 7.4 m/sec for
Capo
Sandalo, Sardinia). So they have installed experimentally 4 sets of 2 mills each, from 4 different,
Italian as well as foreign, manufacturers. It is of great interest to all power utilities in the world
the
fact that wind mills have never been installed before at such a high elevation.
The site is reachable by a well maintained and easy to negotiate asphalt road., from Frosolone's
north end.
 Windmill
If interested in knowing more about the Italian wind power generation plans,click HERE
- CHEESE PRODUCTION.
-
There is, close to town, a cheese factory which
produces
local specialties, such as caciocavallo cheese, scamorze and mozzarelle. The manufacture is
semi-industrial, with accent on cleanliness and quality.
Up on the mountain, during the summer months, the same cheeses are produced in small
quantities by
the shepherds themselves, using unpasteurized milk and century-old methods. Photos are
allowed,
with permission.
Caciocavalli are cheeses belonging to the family of "pasta filata", which requires more
manufacturing steps than regular cheeses. The product is the only one that can be produced from
unpasteurized, whole-cream milk. It needs no refrigeration and is consumed after proper
aging.
- PRODUCTION OF KNIVES AND SCISSORS.
- It is quite interesting to watch
the
production of those items, made using semi-industrial methods. Permission for visiting may be
granted in some circumstances. Until a few years ago the production was totally and entirely
made
by local artisans, in tiny workshops, by hand. It still requires a considerable degree of individual
attention.
-
During August master forgers will produce in an open show knives and scissors, using the old methods and only simple, essential tools.
A page on our artisans gives a brief history of the
trade.
- DELTA-WING HANG GLIDING.
- A school is open to teach hang gliding. The
terrain is
very favourable to this exciting sport. Many enthusiasts arrive from near and far to participate.
 Delta-Wing
- ROCK CLIMBING.
- There are
rock formations that lend themselves to this
sport; nothing to
compare with the Alps, but difficult enough to satisfy adventurous young people in training.
 Rock Climbing
- EXCURSION ON THE MOUNTAIN.
- There is an extensive beech forest,
covering part of
the mountain, some small ponds (grandly called lakes), a church (St. Egidio) with attached
refuge,
a number of springs, a first class restaurant, a grandiose steel cross, an earthquake detection
station, a monument to two NATO aviators who died after hitting with their fighter jet the very
top
of the mountain.
In season wild strawberries and mushrooms (prataioli) can be found when looking in the right
spots; fresh ricotta and cheese can be purchased from the shepherds.
- TRUFFLES.
- A very special treat, discovered in the
last decade. Specially
trained dogs smell and locate white and black, high quality truffles, which are called
affectionally
"black gold". Guess why.
- SUMMER VACATION.
- Fresh air, good food, and reasonable prices prove to
be irresistible
to many vacationers, during July and August. Reservations in local resorts are advised, well
ahead
of time, for that season.
Here are some addresses. Other establishments will be listed in the near future.
- Albergo-Ristorante-Pensione "Colombina"
-
20 rooms with private bath and TV
-
Restaurant, Bar and Pizzeria.
-
Phone 0874/890456
 Albergo Colombina
- Restaurant "La Tana dell'Orso"
-
On the mountain top, at 1,200 m.
-
Phone 0874/890456
- Trattoria "Da Assunta"
-
Home cuisine.
The latest census (1991 ) gives the population of Frosolone at 3431 people. Several times that
number live all over the world, many in Rome, but mostly abroad in the United States, Canada ,
Australia, and South America
where they have formed strong and prosperous communities. It is remarcable to note that in1951
the population of Frosolone was of 5305 individuals. It is a mirror of the situation all over
the Region Molise. Many Frosolonesi have raised there
to prestigious positions in banking, medicine, engineering, and law thus contributing
substantially
to the well being of their host
countries.
We are hoping to add a number of different pages advising of different things about the
community. This page is donated by a nostalgic Frosolonese, now resident of the Niagara
Region,
Ontario, Canada.
We invite you to send us
your comments
If you have questions about Frosolone, you are invited to contact directly City Hall, by email addressed to Rag. Donato Ianiro
The whole presentation includes chapters on Family Cookbook, a POW Diary, a long
Hyperlink, and other information:
This page was last updated on March 18, 1999
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