Molise · Isernia
Isernia
A provincial capital on a 423-meter rock spine, with a Paleolithic site dated 700,000 years and a thirteenth-century public fountain.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 1 h 43 min from Naples
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 20,617
Known for
LA PINETA
Paleolithic site with tools and remains dated to 700,000 years ago, one of the oldest documented human settlements in Europe.
FONTANA FRATERNA
Thirteenth-century fountain with six jets behind a stone arcade, the architectural emblem of the old town.
WHITE TRUFFLE
Tartufo bianco harvested in the surrounding woods, the basis of the city's Città del Tartufo designation.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J10°
- F12°
- M14°
- A17°
- M21°
- J27°
- J31°
- A31°
- S25°
- O20°
- N15°
- D12°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: papa Celestino V, 19 May
Why come
Isernia stands on a narrow rock spine between two rivers, 423 meters above sea level, in the upper Volturno valley. The hill is one of the oldest inhabited places in Europe. The archaeological site of Isernia La Pineta has yielded tools and animal bones dated to about 700,000 years ago and the milk tooth of a child who lived 583,000 years ago.
The Pentri Samnites built Aesernia here in the seventh century BC; Rome took it in 295 BC and founded a Latin colony in 264 BC. The medieval city replaced the Roman streets with its own grid, and in 1240 the public Fontana Fraterna went up in the centro storico, six water jets behind a stone arcade made of repurposed Roman blocks. The Cattedrale di San Pietro Apostolo, built from 1349 on the foundations of a Samnite-era temple, sits a short walk away. Isernia carries the Città del Tartufo mark for the white truffle harvested in the surrounding woods.
The Sunday letter
Isernia is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Isernia comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Isernia in our articles
The best hill towns in Molise7 towns, Isernia among them.
The best towns inside a national park in the province of Isernia7 towns, Isernia among them.
The best towns known for their meat within two hours of Naples7 towns, Isernia among them.
The best towns that eat well in the province of Isernia7 towns, Isernia among them.
How to get there
From Naples / Salerno (NAP), about 1h 38m by car.
Rome (FCO) is about 3 hours away.
By car from the centre of Naples 1h 43m, Salerno 2 hours or Pescara 2h 13m.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
What to see
Museo Nazionale del Paleolitico (Isernia La Pineta)
Archaeological site and museum showing tools and bones dated to 700,000 years ago, one of the oldest human sites in Europe.
Fontana Fraterna
Thirteenth-century public fountain with six water jets behind a stone arcade, made of repurposed Roman blocks.
Cattedrale di San Pietro Apostolo
Cathedral begun in 1349 on the foundations of a third-century-BC Italic temple, seat of the Bishop of Isernia-Venafro.
Centro storico
Narrow medieval grid along the rock spine, walking the route between Roman, Samnite, and medieval layers.
Mura sannitiche
Surviving stretches of pre-Roman polygonal walls visible at the edges of the old town.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Isernia fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
AusaVegetariano
Ausa carries a Gambero Rosso listing.
Distinto RistoranteRistorante
Distinto Ristorante holds one Gambero Rosso fork (79/100).
Existo Osteria MolisanaTrattoria
Existo Osteria Molisana holds two Gambero Rosso prawns.
Nonna sul comòTrattoria
Nonna sul comò holds one Gambero Rosso prawn.
Radici Food ExperienceRistorante
Radici Food Experience carries one Gambero Rosso fork (77/100).
Sorsi e MorsiRistorante
Sorsi e Morsi holds a Gambero Rosso listing.
Living here
- Population 20,617
- Remotei
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Naples / Salerno, 1 h 38 min drive
- Regional capital Campobasso, 56 min drive
Common questions
- What is Isernia known for?
- Isernia is a provincial capital on a 423-meter rock spine, with a Paleolithic site dated 700,000 years and a thirteenth-century public fountain.
- Where is Isernia?
- Isernia is a comune in the province of Isernia, in Molise, at 423 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Isernia?
- Naples / Salerno (NAP), about 1h 38m by car.
- Can you get to Isernia without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Naples to Isernia?
- About 1h 43m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Isernia?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 31 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Isernia?
- The town keeps its patron saint's day: papa Celestino V, 19 May.
- Which other towns are like Isernia?
- Sulmona, Pisticci and Melfi.
- How many people live in Isernia?
- 20,617 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 423 m
- Population: 20,617
- Surface area: 69.15 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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