The Municipality of Campochiaro is a village located in southern Italy, in the Molise Region , in the Province of Campobasso (CB) . The village has a resident population of 635 , divided into 301 males and 334 with a density of 17.79 inhabitants per square kilometre.
THE COUNTRY
The inhabited center stands at the foot of the Matese massif and the municipal area, located near the sources of the Biferno river, is crossed by an ancient transhumance route, the Pescasseroli-Candelacattle track . Among the monuments to visit, the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie , restored in the seventeenth century, with a Baroque style, has a bell tower like a small turret while the interior has three naves. Furthermore, there are examples of military architecture in the area, such as the medieval turret with a circular Lombard plan with a porthole window, presumed to belong to the 10th century. It was originally the tallest tower of a medieval stronghold, with walls. Also worth seeing is the Fontana urbica , rebuilt after the earthquake of 1805, a red stone portico with six columns. The municipal area is part of the WWF Oasis of Guardiaregia – Campochiaro. Among the events, the patronal feast of San Marco and the Oregano Festival are the main attractions.
THE EMBLEM
The coat of arms depicts the three mountains close to the town, called " Torrette " due to the presence of as many watchtowers in the Samnite age , dominated by a radiant sun. The gonfalon is a party cloth of blue and yellow.
THE TERRITORY
Mountain town of medieval origin whose economy, historically linked above all to agriculture, has recently undergone industrial development . Campochiaresi are concentrated in the municipal capital, lying on a spur of Colle la Croce, rich in beech trees and other vegetation, from which you can enjoy the magnificent view of the Matese massif and the Biferno valley. In the plain, separated from the built-up area, stands the industrial nucleus . The climate has the characteristics of a mountain area but is softened by the happy exposure; the territory has a varied appearance: in the north it is gentle and flat; to the south, however, it is rugged and mountainous, with heights ranging from 1,400 meters of Mount Civitavecchia to 1,555 of Mount Guado della Borea . In this area there are the entrances to Pozzo della Neve and Cul di Bove , two deep cavities that reach the bowels of the mountain.
HISTORY
Il suo nome deriva da "Campus clarus", significa pianura soleggiata e deriva probabilmente dalla particolare posizione del territorio. È l'unico comune della provincia ad essere menzionato negli annali di botanica per merito dello studioso francese Tournefat che, inviato da Luigi XIV a compiere ricerche botaniche, trovò sul Matese una pianta della famiglia delle scrofulariacee cui dette il nome di "Veronica Campiclarensi". L'origine dell'attuale comunità risale al Medioevo ma l'area fu quasi certamente teatro di insediamenti italici, di cui restano inconfondibili tracce. Agli inizi del Medioevo le vicende storiche del comune coincidono con quelle di Boiano; nel 1268 passò in feudo a Giovanni d'Alneto al quale poi succedettero i d'Evoli, i Gambatesa, i Caracciolo e i Pandone, signori anche di Venafro. Per ultimo fu posseduta dalla famiglia Mormile che la dominò per oltre un secolo e mezzo, fino alla fine del feudalesimo. Nel patrimonio storico-architettonico spicca il tempio italico riportato alla luce in località Civitella, del quale si possono ammirare le principali strutture; resti di tombe risalenti al VII-VIII secolo d.C. sono stati rinvenuti nella pianura. Nel centro abitato si trovano la chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta e la chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie, in origine dedicata a S. Marco Evangelista.
THE ECONOMY
The most particular aspects of the internal structure of the municipality are represented by an efficient nursery , instituted by the Ministry for Agricultural , Food and Forestry Resources, and by the traditional industry of charcoal made from beech wood which abounds in the area. The public services and offices available to the population are limited to ordinary municipal services and the post office. A life still strongly linked to tradition is led there. The local scholastic structures allow only the attendance of compulsory classes; the sports facilities are much better organised, which allow the practice of clay pigeon shooting , football , tennis , archery , not to mention the airfield which can accommodate small aircraft . In the panorama of productive activities, small industry is expanding with companies operating in the food, textile and plastic materials sectors; agriculture and animal husbandry nevertheless maintain an important role with the cultivation of cereals and vegetables and the exploitation of the vast beech woods.
RELATIONS
If we exclude the direct commuting towards the industrial agglomeration, it is above all the natural environment that attracts visitors (in the woods you can find wild fruits and fragrant herbs ); the most expert Italian and foreign speleologists meet to explore the depths of the Matese and sport flying enthusiasts can take advantage of the small airfield. Among the occasions for meeting, the traditional fair of goods and livestock which takes place in October and the torchlight procession for the feast of the Madonna del Carmine deserve to be mentioned. The Patron S. Marco is celebrated on April 25 with a procession.