Located a short distance from the Trigno River, Montemitro is one of Molise’s three Croatian-minority municipalities, along with Acquaviva Collecroce and San Felice del Molise. The community, of Istrian-Dalmatian origin, arrived in Italy in the 16th century to escape Turkish oppression, finding refuge in uninhabited territory due to the earthquake of 1456 and the plague of 1495. Still today, among the alleys of the village, the Croatian-Molisan “na-našo” resounds, a language that has kept many original features intact while also integrating Italian terms.
In the heart of the village stands the Parish Church of Santa Lucia, built between the 18th and 19th centuries. Probably built by joining two pre-existing structures, the church features a central nave, a women’s gallery and an iconic 19th-century wooden triptych chinante door, which obliged anyone, even bishops and feudal lords, to bow to enter. Inside it holds a valuable painting of St. Lucy, a wooden statue of Our Lady of Grace (16th century) and ancient stone epigraphs. The bell tower, erected in the 18th century, has a rare “six-hour” clock, typical of the Roman tradition.
Another vestige of the past is the Chapel of St. Lucy, located in the ancient settlement of Selo. Destroyed over time, it was rebuilt in the 1930s following an apparition of the Saint to a local resident. Every year since 1932, the community has made a pilgrimage there on Sunday in Albis, celebrating a mass and cake auction.
Among the most heartfelt events is the Palio di San Rocco, where the town’s four contrade (districts) compete in a donkey race, followed by a big spaghetti aglio e olio (garlic and oil spaghetti). On Christmas Eve, however, the Prlj, an inverted juniper cone that burns as a propitiatory symbol, is lit.
Textile craftsmanship, once central to the local economy, goes hand in hand with a cuisine rich in authentic flavors. Among the typical dishes: paparolizzata (boiled potatoes with paprika, fried sardines and dried peppers), lamb’s head with cacio cheese and eggs, spaghetti alla chitarra with fried breadcrumbs, and kolači, cookies filled with jam and dried fruit. Finally, ventricina alla paparolica, a spicy sausage, enhances the village’s gastronomic tradition.