Molise is Italy’s second smallest province after Valle D’Aosta and sits in the crossroads of Italy, between four very distinct regions of Italy: Puglia to the east, Lazio to the west, Campania to the south, and Abruzzo to the north. In fact, Molise and Abruzzo were once married together – Molise has only been independent since 1963, making it the youngest of Italy’s provinces.

Molise is quiet and untouched – the region is home to just 300,000 people, and daily life moves at a gentle pace. Tourists are few and far between here (so you might want to brush up on your Italian), but make the trek inland and you'll be rewarded for your efforts with some of the country’s most beautiful scenery. Over fifty percent of Molise is made up of mountains, criss-crossed with tratturi – the well-worn paths of Molisani shepherds, that stretch for many hundreds of miles between the hillside towns and villages of Molise. As you head east, those hills roll down towards a thirty-five kilometre stretch of blissful, sun-drenched Adriatic coastline.

On the food side, Molise is similarly undiscovered but no less delicious than that of any of its neighbours. The region has a longstanding reputation for excellent pasta – both cavatelli and fusilli are said to have originated here before they became popular pasta shapes across the country – and Molisani also love their offal, particularly when it’s on the barbecue. If you’re looking for an unadulterated slice of Italy, Molise should be high on your list of places to visit.