Stroll through the alleys of the villages, get lost in the green countryside and admire endless views from the peaks of the highest hills. For those who decide to discover the legend of the Bove King and go hunting for his churches, there will be these and other adventures.
This ancient narrative, ties in with the building of a number of churches. Although there are no written documents to confirm it, even today we can admire the places of worship referred to.
The legend tells of a king, named Bove, who fell in love with his sister and, blinded by his desire to marry her, approached the pope for permission. After numerous refusals, the pontiff set a condition: he would agree to the marriage if the king could build one hundred churches in one night.
An impossible feat. So King Bove made a pact with the devil: the devil would help him, and when the work was finished, the king would surrender his soul. They immediately set to work: the devil would detach the stones while the ruler built the churches. As dawn approached, with ninety-nine churches completed, King Bove was seized with remorse and begged God for forgiveness. The Lord absolved him but the devil grabbed a boulder and hurled it at the last church under construction.
It is from this very church that the experience begins. It is the Church of Santa Maria della Strada, in the countryside of Matrice. Even today, near the building, there is a large boulder known as the “devil’s canton.” Here King Bove was buried and an effigy of two oxen was carved on the facade.
Similar symbol appears on the façade of another church, that of San Leonardo in the old town of Campobasso.
Of the original 100 churches, only seven have come down to us. In addition to the two mentioned are the Church of Maria Santissima Assunta in the heart of the village of Ferrazzano, Santa Maria di Monteverde on a hill between Vinchiaturo and Mirabello Sannitico, and Santa Maria a Monte on a scenic hill in Cercemaggiore. The sixth is in Volturara Appula while the seventh is yet to be discovered.
Will you be the one to unravel the mystery?