Landscapes of Molise

The Molise territory is represented by a system of natural environments that interconnect with each other in a small space creating an ecological ecosystem difficult to preserve without blocking the economic, tourist and social development of the area. The presence of numerous environments make the territory particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, even if minimal: on the coast the region has a low industrial development while the rural system is very developed with large cultivations of olives, grapes and cereals. The agricultural areas are therefore very beautiful and appreciated even by tourists where has been created a slow tourism regional, national and international tourism not only in summer.

The development of receptive structures in rural buildings through the redevelopment of existing and abandoned structures could implement tourism expansion without land consumption. The sustainable tourism without modification of the rural urban context would allow to implement the typically agricultural economy of the region and to recover small abandoned villages for migration to the cities. However, this objective must be included in the regional economic and social development planning of the territory through funding to farmers or young people who develop new businesses so as to avoid depopulation of internal areas and the presence of mass summer tourism that causes ecological pressures to the territory.

Molise Region faces on the Adriatic Sea with a coastline of about 36 km beetween the mouth of Formale del Molino canal, in the North, and the mouth of Saccione creek, in the South. The major rivers that flow in it are the Trigno and Biferno rivers and Sinarca and Saccione creeks. Finally, the coast is attributable to one large physiographic unit that is bounded on the north by Punta Penna (in Abruzzo region) and on the south by Punta Pietre Nere (Apulian region). However, the presence of the promontory of Termoli, that is a clear element of separation reinforced by the port structured therein located, leads to divide the coast of Molise in two main areas.

Proceeding from North to South along the coast of Molise there are the sandy beaches of Costa Verde, Marinelle, Marina di Petacciato, Litorale Termoli Nord, Foce dell’Angelo, Sant’Antonio, Rio Vivo, Marinelle, Campomarino, Marinelle Nuove, Nuova Cliternia e Ramitelli.

These beaches, generally sandy and large from a few tens of meters up to a maximum of about two hundred meters especially in the souther side, are delimited towards the interior by dunes, or are in direct contact with the terraced relief and hillsides, with coastal floodplains, or land affected by structures and human activities especially related to building construction and seaside enjoyment. The environmental integrity characterizes the whole coast of Molise; the coastal landscape regains in full its natural character with large leafy branches near the beaches and the preservation of the original agricultural destination of the immediate hinterland.

Other coastal countries areas (Marina di Montenero, Petacciato marina, Campomarino lido) they are suggestive embryonal and established dunes colonized by the psammophilous species, the typical Adriatic coastal vegetation, to wich follow Mediterranean Maquis species and beaches equipped for touristic activities.

Finally, the Molise coast is home of considerable natural value areas. With 18 EU habitats and 3 SCIs (IT7228221 Marina di Petacciato-Foce del Fiume Trigno, IT7222216 Foce Biferno – Litorale di Campomarino, and IT7222217 Bonifica Ramitelli-Foce Saccione–), it represents an important hotspots of coastal habitats and species in central Italian Adriatic areas.

The dunal areas, representative of the coastal relict ecosystem in the Mediterranean basin; their importance concerns the maintenance of coastline (hardly compromises by coastal erosion) as well as making the sandy beach more attractive.