Acquaviva Collecroce (Živavoda Kruč) is one of three Croatian ethnic and linguistic minority municipalities in Molise. Located in the hills of lower Molise, the town owes its name to the abundance of springs and the hill of the Cross. The local community has maintained Slavic language and traditions, still speaking the Stocavo dialect, dating back to the 15th century, when Slavic peoples settled there to repopulate the area after devastating earthquakes.
In the historic center, in addition to still hearing Croatian-Molisan (na-našu), you can see mysterious symbols such as the eight-pointed star, a Templar cross, and the Magic Square of Sator, whose origin remains unknown. The Church of St. Mary Esther, founded by the Knights of Malta in the 1500s and renovated in the Baroque style in 1715, holds works of art including a St. Michael the Archangel attributed to Paul Xavier di Zinno. Particular is the position of the facade, facing the village and not the square, the main one of the village, which was built later.
Acquaviva’s illustrious figures include Nicola Neri, a patriot who was executed in 1799 for his involvement in the Parthenopean Republic, and Giovanni De Rubertis, who studied and spread knowledge about the Slavic colonies of Molise in the 1900s.
The town retains craft traditions such as hand weaving, while lace-making has now disappeared. Among the most heartfelt holidays are the celebration of St. Michael the Archangel (Sept. 29 and May 8), St. Blaise (Feb. 3), with typical “Kolači” filled with cooked must, and the May 1 “Maj,” a springtime ritual featuring an anthropomorphic cone decorated with flowers and herbs. During Christmas Eve, the “Smrčka,” a large torch is lit in front of the church.
Local gastronomy offers cold cuts such as sausage, ventricina and soppressata, as well as typical dishes such as cavatelli with sausage sauce, stew with cacio cheese and eggs, and “panunda,” a loaf of bread stuffed with fried peppers and sausage. Traditional dish is varak, a legume soup prepared for St. Donat (Aug. 7), and milk noodles for Ascension Day. Desserts include calcioni stuffed with chickpeas, fried caragnole with honey, mostaccioli, and fiadone with ricotta or cheese for Easter.