Campobasso
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Campobasso (UK: /ˌkæmpoʊˈbæsoʊ/,[3] Italian: [ˌkampoˈbasso] ⓘ; Campobassan: Cambuàsce [ˌkambuˈwaʃʃə]) is a city and comune (municipality) in southern Italy, the capital of the region of Molise and of the province of Campobasso. It is located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by the Sannio and Matese mountains. It has 47,399 inhabitants.[2]
Key Information
Campobasso is renowned for the craftsmanship of blades (including scissors and knives), a fact well documented since the 14th century. In the old part of the town there is a medieval castle, Castello Monforte. It is also famous for the scamorza and caciocavallo. The city is home to the University of Molise and the Archdiocese of Campobasso-Boiano.
History
[edit]The origins of Campobasso are disputed. According to the most widely held theory, the city was founded by the Lombards before the 8th century as a fortified camp on the slope of the hill where the castle stands.[citation needed] The original name was Campus vassorum, suggesting that the city was the seat of the vassals of the duke of Spoleto.
After the Norman conquest of Southern Italy, Campobasso lost its importance as a defensive stronghold, but became a significant trading and administration centre.[4]
From 1330 to 1745 the city was ruled by the Monforte-Gambatesa family, who built the castle and established a mint. Later it came under the control of the Di Capua, Gonzaga, Vitagliano, Carafa and Romano families.[4]
The original old town of Campobasso contains the Castello Monforte, although in 1732 the inhabitants built a new town on a lower-level plain.[5] In 1763 the citizens abandoned the old city and settled in the lower valley. The current city was expanded in 1814 by the king of Naples Joachim Murat, and lies on the Campo Basso ("Low field").[4]
Campobasso was the scene of heavy fighting during the Second World War. In the months of October and November 1943 a battle between the German and the Canadian troops for possession of the city caused the destruction of many public buildings, including the City Hall and the archives held there. Thirty eight civilians were killed in the action, including the bishop of the diocese, Bishop Secondo Bologna, and an unknown number of people were injured in the intensive bombardment.[4] The occupation by the Canadian troops, and the administrative and political control resulting, had such an impact on the town that it became known as "Canada Town" or "Maple Leaf City".[6]
In 1995 the city was awarded the bronze medal for Civil Valour in recognition of the hard work done in clearing the region of dangerous unexploded warheads, a task that lasted well into 1948.[4]
Geography
[edit]The region's largest city by population, it stands at 701 m above sea level[7] (Monforte Castle is at 792 m).
Campobasso borders the municipalities of Busso, Campodipietra, Castropignano, Ferrazzano, Matrice, Mirabello Sannitico, Oratino, Ripalimosani, San Giovanni in Galdo, and Vinchiaturo.
Climate
[edit]Situated 701 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level and close to the Apennine Mountains, Campobasso is considered one of the coldest cities of central/southern Italy. It has an humid subtropical climate (Cfa) according to the Köppen climate classification, and an oceanic climate (Do) according to Trewartha climate classification, with an average temperature of about 13 °C (55 °F), with winter to summer ranging from 4 to 23 °C (39 to 73 °F) on average. During the winter, snowfalls are frequent. The wettest time of year is the autumn with about 77 millimetres (3.0 in) of rain each November.
| Climate data for Campobasso (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) |
7.9 (46.2) |
11.3 (52.3) |
14.8 (58.6) |
19.5 (67.1) |
24.6 (76.3) |
27.6 (81.7) |
28.1 (82.6) |
22.1 (71.8) |
17.7 (63.9) |
12.2 (54.0) |
8.2 (46.8) |
16.8 (62.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
4.5 (40.1) |
7.3 (45.1) |
10.6 (51.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
19.8 (67.6) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.8 (73.0) |
17.6 (63.7) |
13.7 (56.7) |
9.2 (48.6) |
5.4 (41.7) |
12.7 (54.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.0 (35.6) |
1.7 (35.1) |
4.2 (39.6) |
7.1 (44.8) |
11.2 (52.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
18.1 (64.6) |
18.5 (65.3) |
14.2 (57.6) |
10.7 (51.3) |
6.7 (44.1) |
3.2 (37.8) |
9.4 (48.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 66.4 (2.61) |
51.2 (2.02) |
57.3 (2.26) |
62.4 (2.46) |
58.2 (2.29) |
49.8 (1.96) |
34.9 (1.37) |
39.3 (1.55) |
57.5 (2.26) |
58.6 (2.31) |
76.8 (3.02) |
61.0 (2.40) |
673.5 (26.52) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.5 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 7.7 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 86.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 76.7 | 73.9 | 70.4 | 67.3 | 66.7 | 62.4 | 58.3 | 59.0 | 67.7 | 72.9 | 77.5 | 78.2 | 69.2 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 0.5 (32.9) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
1.9 (35.4) |
4.2 (39.6) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.3 (52.3) |
12.4 (54.3) |
13.2 (55.8) |
11.3 (52.3) |
8.8 (47.8) |
5.5 (41.9) |
1.9 (35.4) |
6.6 (43.9) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 157.8 | 156.5 | 186.6 | 207.9 | 245.2 | 265.5 | 296.7 | 287.7 | 219.9 | 183.8 | 149.7 | 140.7 | 2,498.1 |
| Source: NOAA[8] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
[edit]| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1861 | 12,802 | — |
| 1871 | 14,311 | +11.8% |
| 1881 | 14,845 | +3.7% |
| 1901 | 14,724 | −0.8% |
| 1911 | 16,791 | +14.0% |
| 1921 | 16,413 | −2.3% |
| 1931 | 19,955 | +21.6% |
| 1936 | 22,525 | +12.9% |
| 1951 | 28,678 | +27.3% |
| 1961 | 34,011 | +18.6% |
| 1971 | 41,782 | +22.8% |
| 1981 | 48,291 | +15.6% |
| 1991 | 50,941 | +5.5% |
| 2001 | 50,762 | −0.4% |
| 2011 | 48,747 | −4.0% |
| 2021 | 47,587 | −2.4% |
| Source: ISTAT[9][10] | ||
As of 2026, the population is 47,399, of which 48.7% are male, and 51.3% are female. Minors make up 12.9% of the population, and seniors make up 27.5%.[2]
Immigration
[edit]As of 2025, immigrants make up 9.4% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Argentina, Romania, Venezuela, Germany, and Bangladesh.[11]
Government
[edit]Monuments and places of interest
[edit]


- Castello Monforte, built in 1450 by the local ruler Nicola II Monforte, over Lombard or Norman ruins. The castle has Guelph merlons and stands on a commanding point, where traces of ancient settlements (including Samnite walls) have been found. The current construction is the result of later rebuilding after the earthquakes of 1456 and 1805.
- Chiesa della Madonna del Monte (Santa Maria Maggiore), erected in the 11th century and rebuilt in 1525. It houses a precious wooden statue of the Incoronata from 1334. Below the castle, the church of St. George is probably the oldest in Campobasso, built around the year 1000 AD over the ruins of a Pagan temple.
- Cathedral, or Chiesa della Santissima Trinità (Church of the Holy Trinity), was built in 1504 outside the city walls. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1805 and a new Neoclassical edifice was built in 1829.
- Church of San Bartolomeo is a Romanesque building from the 11th century, in limestone. The interior has a nave and two aisles.
- Church of San Leonardo (14th century) has a façade mixing Gothic and Romanesque elements, and a side mullioned window with vegetable decorations influenced by the Apulian architecture of the period.
- Villa de Capoa, recently restored, is a noteworthy garden with statues and a wide variety of plant species, including sequoias, Norway Spruces, cypresses and Lebanon Cedars.
Transport
[edit]Railways
[edit]Campobasso railway station, which is managed by Centostazioni, is located in the centre of the city at the junction of two lines: that from Termoli to Vairano and the branch from Benevento.
Roads and highways
[edit]Road traffic is regulated by the State Road Sannitica, by the State Road SS645 Del Tappino and by the State Road 647 Fondo Valle del Biferno.
Public transport
[edit]The urban public transport consists of 23 lines of autobus managed by the SEAC company.
Air transport
[edit]Campobasso doesn't have its own airport. The nearest major airport is Naples International Airport, which is located 154 km (96 mi) south-west of the city.
Notable people
[edit]- Fred Bongusto, singer
- Alberto Bonucci, actor
- Dino Bravo, professional wrestler
- Tony Dallara, singer
- Pasquale Gravina, volleyball player
- Baldasarre Labanca (1832 – 1913), theologian and historian
- Tito Mattei, classical music composer
- Fabrizio Brienza, model and actor
- Chiara Izzi, jazz singer, composer and musician
- Herbert Ballerina, actor, comedian and radio host
International relations
[edit]Twin towns – sister cities
[edit]Campobasso is twinned with:
Ottawa, Canada
Lezhë, Albania
Frontera Hidalgo, Mexico
Mahopac, United States
Vladimir, Russia
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina[12]
Sassari, Italy
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011" (in Italian). ISTAT.
- ^ a b c "Resident population". ISTAT.
- ^ "Campobasso". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Storia". centrostoricocb.it (in Italian). Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "Campobasso". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
- ^ Nicholson, G.W.L. The Gunners of Canada Vol. II. Beauceville: Imprimerie L'Éclaireur, 1972. p 162.
- ^ "Comuni capoluogo di provincia - elenco per altitudine". TuttItalia.it. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Campobasso". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ "Popolazione residente dei comuni. Censimenti dal 1861 al 1991" [Resident population of the municipalities. Censuses from 1861 to 1991] (PDF) (in Italian). ISTAT. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2025.
- ^ "Resident population - Time series". ISTAT.
- ^ "Resident population by sex, municipality and citizenship". ISTAT.
- ^ Градови партнери [City of Banja Luka - Partner cities]. Administrative Office of the City of Banja Luka (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Campobasso at Wikimedia Commons
Campobasso
View on GrokipediaGeography
Location and physical features
Campobasso serves as the capital of the Molise region and its namesake province in south-central Italy.[11] The city occupies a position in the high basin of the Biferno River, which drains eastward toward the Adriatic Sea.[12] Situated approximately 70 kilometers inland from the Adriatic coastline near Termoli, it lies on the eastern slopes of the Apennine chain, with the western sector of the region forming part of the mountainous backbone draining to the Tyrrhenian Sea via the Volturno River.[13] At an elevation of about 700 meters above sea level, Campobasso features hilly terrain characteristic of the southern Apennine foothills, surrounded by the Sannio and Matese mountain massifs.[14] The urban layout divides into the historic upper town, Città Vecchia, elevated on a central hill overlooking the Biferno and Fortore valleys, and lower modern expansions along the basin floor.[12] This topography provides panoramic views of surrounding valleys and peaks, with the Matese massif rising prominently to the north and west.[14]Climate
Campobasso exhibits a temperate climate influenced by its inland location in the Molise region and elevation of approximately 700 meters, resulting in conditions cooler and more continental than typical coastal Mediterranean areas. The Köppen classification identifies it as Cfb (marine west coast), featuring mild temperatures year-round with no pronounced dry season and heavy precipitation during mild winters. Annual average temperatures hover around 13.3 °C, while precipitation totals approximately 806 mm, distributed relatively evenly but with peaks in late autumn and winter.[15][16] The following table summarizes monthly average climate data for Campobasso:| Month | Average maximum temperature (°C) | Average mean temperature (°C) | Average minimum temperature (°C) | Average precipitation (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.5 | 3.1 | -1.2 | 78 |
| Feb | 8.8 | 4.0 | -0.9 | 67 |
| Mar | 12.2 | 6.6 | 1.1 | 61 |
| Apr | 16.2 | 10.3 | 4.3 | 67 |
| May | 20.9 | 14.7 | 8.5 | 55 |
| Jun | 25.2 | 18.7 | 12.3 | 45 |
| Jul | 28.5 | 21.5 | 14.6 | 30 |
| Aug | 28.6 | 21.7 | 14.8 | 39 |
| Sep | 23.8 | 17.7 | 11.5 | 56 |
| Oct | 18.5 | 13.0 | 7.5 | 80 |
| Nov | 12.6 | 7.9 | 3.1 | 98 |
| Dec | 8.3 | 4.2 | 0.1 | 88 |