Le tre torrette di Campochiaro

In Samnite and Roman times, in Molise there was a dense network of fortifications, the perimeter walls could reach the length of several kilometers, located on the heights of the domain of the valleys and the ancient streets. The fortifications were made in polygonal work, with dry stone walls set with blocks of local stone not worked. Typical workmanship of the Samnites was to build walls "a lot" with the visible parts consisting of large blocks and the inner part filled with stones of small size. The dimensions range from a minimum of 1.50 to a maximum of 2.50 m, and with vertical development of 3-4 meters. The presence of towers incorporated in the walls, does not seem to be a characteristic of the Samnite fortifications, with the exception of Le Tre Torrette di Campochiaro, here in fact, along the walls there are the ruins of three towers. Built at a height of 1200-1400 m above sea level, it had therefore a double importance. First of all, it coordinated the visual communications between the fortified center of Mount Crocella and Bovaianom, the capital of the Samnites Pentri with the other settlements; moreover, it controlled and defended the paths of the sheep-track Pescasseroli-Candela and the sheep-track that from the plain of Bojano went up towards the Italic sanctuary of Hercules to continue towards the territory of the Samnites/Caudini and Samnites/Irpini settled south of the Matese massif.