Carlantino storia, arte e natura nel cuore Italia

The delightful village of Carlantino rises on the border with Molise, in a geographical position in full contact with nature, on a hill from which it enjoys the extraordinary panorama of the Fortore valley and the Occhito dam.

The first settlement dates back to the Byzantine period, and is located in the town of San Giovanni Maggiore, on the acropolis of the homonymous mountain north of the current urban settlement. But already in Roman times the mountain was inhabited, as evidenced by the archaeological findings of the city walls, a fortress with furnace for working iron and numerous tools.

The origin of the current village dates back to the second half of the sixteenth century by Carlo Gambacorta, feudal lord of Celenza, and it seems that the name derives from a term of this "Carlettino". The small historic centre gathers around the Church of San Donato and winds through the narrow streets, where characteristic houses overlook, many decorated with keystones on the portals. Of particular interest are the Cappella dell'Annunziata and the Municipal Archaeological Museum with a rich display of finds from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages.

Of great interest is the Occhito Dam, born from the barrier of the Fortore River.