Women’s clothing, on the other hand, is striking in its designs, animated by bright colors and numerous accessories, selected primarily based on age and social status. A young woman, for example, wore light robes that jealously concealed her supple feminine curves. Once engaged, her clothes were enriched with accessories such as scissors or a knife (given by her betrothed), symbols of domestic skill and purity.

The peak of this ascent, however, suffered an initial abrupt halt in 881 when a Saracen attack, orchestrated by the Duke and Bishop of Naples, Athanasius II, brought the monastery to the brink of collapse. Hundreds of brothers were massacred, while looting and fires reduced the sacred site to desolation, forcing the survivors to flee. Returning to Castel San Vincenzo only around 920, in significantly smaller numbers, the monks devoted themselves to the partial reconstruction of their structures but soon decided to abandon the original site altogether, opting to build a new monastery of significantly smaller dimensions on the opposite bank of the Volturno River, in what is now known as “San Vincenzo Nuovo”.

After this abandonment, oblivion and nature reclaimed the remains of what was once an illustrious center known and inhabited by great and noble abbots, intellectuals, theologians, and saints. Only many centuries later, in the early 1980s and thanks to the research of Professor Richard Hodges, did the first remains of San Vincenzo al Volturno resurface. Numerous churches, refectories, guesthouses, cloisters, and kitchens, along with richly decorated rooms, once again become tangible evidence of this place’s great history. Hundreds of artifacts (worked glass, jewelry, sculptures, epigraphs, mosaics, marble and ceramic floors) represent the fruit of the skilled craftsmanship of the monks, workers, and master craftsmen who dedicatedly worked in the monastic workshops and laboratories.

The learning began almost as soon as the group arrived in Rome, where their first dinner included an introduction to the history and traditions of Roman cuisine. Familiar dishes such as cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, and gricia provided an early opportunity to consider how relatively simple combinations of seasonal ingredients became enduring expressions of regional identity.

But it was in Molise that students began tracing those relationships more deeply.

Their first stop was Bas & Co in Pesche, where a hands-on pizza-making experience introduced a production philosophy that begins long before dough enters the oven—with the selection of grains, milling of flour, slow fermentation, and careful sourcing of artisanal and locally rooted ingredients. After making (and eating) their own pizza, students continued into the mountains of Alto Molise and Agnone.

There, one day became a study in how traditional knowledge can continue to create economic value in a changing world.

At Caseificio Di Nucci, students entered the artisanal laboratory to see how caciocavallo di Agnone, scamorza, stracciata, and other cheeses are produced before exploring the family’s Museum of Cheesemaking and Transhumance and tasting the results. A lesson in sustainable baking followed at Panificio Pasticceria Alto Molise, while a stop at Caffè Letterario used one of Italy’s most recognizable products—espresso—to explore the relationship between consumption, ritual, identity, and social life.

The day even extended beyond food. At the Pontificia Fonderia di Campane Marinelli, students encountered another family enterprise where specialized knowledge has been transmitted across generations. The centuries-old bell foundry offered a parallel question central to the program: how do traditional businesses preserve cultural heritage while remaining economically relevant in the present?

Agnone sits in the province of Isernia in Alto Molise, the mountainous northern reaches of the region near the border with Abruzzo. At roughly 830 meters (2,720 feet) above sea level, the town occupies a ridge surrounded by forests, pastures, and the rolling peaks of the central Apennines.

Below the historic center runs the Verrino River, whose waters once played an essential role in Agnone’s development. Water-powered mills and machinery along the river helped sustain the town’s copperworking industry, while the surrounding forests supplied resources for generations of craftspeople.

Riccia’s Festa dell’Uva dates to the early 1930s, when grape festivals were promoted in communities throughout Italy. The town’s first documented celebration took place in 1931, with young women dressed in traditional pacchiana clothing, wicker baskets overflowing with grapes, carts decorated with grapevines and leaves, music, dancing, and, naturally, plenty of wine. While similar festivals eventually disappeared elsewhere, Riccia held onto its celebration, allowing it to evolve into a tradition distinctly its own.

From its hilltop location, a couple of kilometers from the sea, the small village of Petacciato overlooks Petacciato Marina. With its azure waters and fine, clear sand, it’s a true nature reserve thanks to the presence of maritime dunes that have created an ideal habitat for certain types of plants. Along with the other beaches in Molise, it’s a popular summer destination. From the historic center, you can admire a panorama that encompasses the Gargano and the Majella Mountains, while the coastline is bordered by a pine forest that provides a refreshing coolness, invaluable on the hottest days.

The village, at 1,190 meters, is spectacularly protected by an enormous natural bastion, a gigantic limestone wall that every year attracts a large number of climbing enthusiasts who want to experience climbing on one of the many equipped routes.

Every internship begins with a simple question:

What kind of work inspires you?

From there, Molise Italian Studies works with its extensive network of community partners to create placements aligned with each participant’s academic background, career aspirations, and Italian language experience. While many internships require at least one year of college-level Italian, opportunities also exist for students with little or no previous language study.

Past placements have included organizations in agriculture, education, communications, tourism, museums, nonprofit organizations, environmental sustainability, public service, and business. One recent summer intern apprenticed with Nazario Fania, a passionate beekeeper whose integrated, sustainable approach extends far beyond honey production. Working alongside Nazario, she learned every stage of the process—from caring for hives in the hills and mountains of Molise to understanding how biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and responsible stewardship shape both the landscape and the local economy. She also collaborated on marketing initiatives, helping share Nazario’s story and connect consumers more directly with the people, places, and practices behind his honey. His philosophy of a circular economy, which invites customers into the fields and the honey house to witness the production process firsthand, offered a powerful example of how environmental sustainability, entrepreneurship, transparency, and community education can thrive together.

Unlike many internships, participants do not spend their evenings disconnected from the communities they serve. They return home to host families, practice conversational Italian, volunteer within local organizations, meet regularly with language partners, and become active participants in village life. Professional development continues long after the workday ends.

Colletorto is located in the province of Campobasso in eastern Molise, near the border with Puglia. Perched approximately 515 meters (1,690 feet) above sea level, the town commands sweeping views over the Fortore Valley and the gently rolling hills that characterize this agricultural corner of the region.

Its name—believed to derive from the Latin collis tortus, or “twisted hill”—aptly reflects the winding ridge upon which the historic center developed. The surrounding countryside is dominated by wheat fields, olive groves, vineyards, and pastureland, landscapes that have sustained local families for centuries and continue to define the area’s economy and identity.