Perched on a ridge overlooking the lush Valle Porcina, Fornelli is a village that enchants with its authentic charm. Included among the “most beautiful villages of Italy”, awarded the title of City of Oil and bronze medal to military valor, Fornelli combines historical beauty and natural landscape: green woods and expanses of olive groves embrace a medieval center extraordinarily preserved.
The origins of the village date back to the early Middle Ages, when the Benedictine monks of San Vincenzo al Volturno repopulated the area. Even today, the old town preserves the ancient walls with four gates, six Angevin towers and a suggestive walkway overlooking breathtaking views.
The main entrance is Porta Umberto I, an imposing opening in the medieval walls that leads to the palace of the marquis, built between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Through a picturesque support you access the courtyard and the chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows where the daily life of the village – among laughter of children and quiet widespread – tells a dimension of rare serenity..
Continuing you reach the Piazza Belvedere, a natural terrace with a view that stretches from the valley to the Matese massif. Along the restored walls you will find places regenerated thanks to public interventions such as Piazzetta Carlo III and Piazzetta della Lettura, overlooking the mountains of Mainarde, part of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise.
Via Belvedere leads to the heart of the village, along the path of the ancient fortified plant. Here there is a network of alleys with evocative names – Hercules, Venus, Pluto – among pergolas, wrought iron balconies and carved stone portals. At the centre of the oldest part stands the mother church dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo, in homage to the Lombard tradition.
Leaving Portanova you reach the fountain of Eté and the church of San Pietro Martire, patron saint of the village. In this corner of Molise time seems to slow down: between picturesque views and genuine encounters, Fornelli offers a journey into the heart of history and simplicity.