Frosolone
Encyclopedia
Frosolone is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Isernia
in the Italian
region Molise
, located about 20 km west of Campobasso
and about 20 km east of Isernia
. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,330 and an area of 49.6 km². Frosolone is well-known historically for the production of blades, including knives and scissors
, and is home to a museum dedicated to the craft.
, Casalciprano
, Civitanova del Sannio
, Duronia
, Macchiagodena
, Molise
, Sant'Elena Sannita
, Sessano del Molise
, Torella del Sannio
.
and Osci
Italic tribes, which were conquered by the Romans during the Samnite Wars
. There are remnants of cyclopean walls built by the Samnites, locally called "Civitelle." As the name implies, they were likely part of a small fortress destroyed by the Roman Army in 293 BC
; the historian Livy
describes the march of two Roman armies, headed by Spurius Carvilius Maximus and Lucius Papirius Cursor
, which met at the Civitelle.
The first mention of the town's name is in a "diploma" dated 1064, by the Count of Isernia.
The church of Santa Maria Assunta is of medieval origin. Its construction was completed probably in 1309, when it was cited for the first time in a notarial deed. On December 5, 1456, the church was totally destroyed by an earthquake that had as Frosolone as its epicenter. Reconstruction work ended in 1531, when it was consecrated.
Frosolone was victim to another earthquake
on July 26, 1805, which destroyed most of the buildings in town and killed 518 people. In 1860, Frosolone was officially annexed by the Kingdom of Italy. In 1864 the Post Office was opened; in 1866 a kerosene public lighting system was installed at the then-large outlay of 4,000 lira
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Isernia
Province of Isernia
The Province of Isernia is a province in the Molise region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Isernia....
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Molise
Molise
Molise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
, located about 20 km west of Campobasso
Campobasso
-Main sights:The main attraction of Campobasso is the 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 have been found...
and about 20 km east of Isernia
Isernia
Isernia Isernia Isernia (Latin: Aesernia or, in Pliny and later writers, Eserninus, or in the Antonine Itinerary, Serni is a town and comune in the central Italian region of Molise, and the capital of Isernia province.- Geography :...
. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,330 and an area of 49.6 km². Frosolone is well-known historically for the production of blades, including knives and scissors
Scissors
Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin...
, and is home to a museum dedicated to the craft.
Geography
Frosolone borders the following municipalities: CarpinoneCarpinone
Carpinone is a comune in the Province of Isernia in the Italian region Molise, located about 30 km west of Campobasso and about 7 km east of Isernia...
, Casalciprano
Casalciprano
Casalciprano is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 11 km west of Campobasso. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 613 and an area of 19.0 km²....
, Civitanova del Sannio
Civitanova del Sannio
Civitanova del Sannio is a comune in the Province of Isernia in the Italian region Molise, located about 25 km northwest of Campobasso and about 15 km northeast of Isernia...
, Duronia
Duronia
Duronia is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 20 km northwest of Campobasso. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 473 and an area of 22.2 km²....
, Macchiagodena
Macchiagodena
Macchiagodena is a town and comune in the province of Isernia, located high in the Apennines mountains in the region of Molise.-History:...
, Molise
Molise (commune)
Molise is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 15 km northwest of Campobasso. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 179 and an area of 5.2 km²....
, Sant'Elena Sannita
Sant'Elena Sannita
Sant'Elena Sannita is a comune in the Province of Isernia in the Italian region Molise, located about 15 km west of Campobasso and about 20 km east of Isernia....
, Sessano del Molise
Sessano del Molise
Sessano del Molise is a comune in the Province of Isernia in the Italian region Molise, located about 30 km northwest of Campobasso and about 9 km northeast of Isernia...
, Torella del Sannio
Torella del Sannio
Torella del Sannio is a town and comune in the province of Campobasso .-History:The village is believed to have been founded around 800 BC and hosts a medieval castle-tower of 12th century, hence the name , and a monastery.-External links:* * *...
.
History
The region surrounding Frosolone was inhabited by members of the SannitiSamnium
Samnium is a Latin exonym for a region of south or south and central Italy in Roman times. The name survives in Italian today, but today's territory comprising it is only a small portion of what it once was. The populations of Samnium were called Samnites by the Romans...
and Osci
Osci
The Osci , were an Italic people of Campania and Latium adiectum during Roman times. They spoke the Oscan language, also spoken by the Samnites of Southern Italy. Although the language of the Samnites was called Oscan, the Samnites were never called Osci, or the Osci Samnites...
Italic tribes, which were conquered by the Romans during the Samnite Wars
Samnite Wars
The First, Second, and Third Samnite Wars, between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium, extended over half a century, involving almost all the states of Italy, and ended in Roman domination of the Samnites...
. There are remnants of cyclopean walls built by the Samnites, locally called "Civitelle." As the name implies, they were likely part of a small fortress destroyed by the Roman Army in 293 BC
293 BC
Year 293 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cursor and Maximus...
; the historian Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
describes the march of two Roman armies, headed by Spurius Carvilius Maximus and Lucius Papirius Cursor
Lucius Papirius Cursor
Lucius Papirius Cursor was a Roman general who was five times consul and twice dictator.In 325 BC he was appointed dictator to carry on the second Samnite War. His quarrel with Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus, his magister equitum, is well known...
, which met at the Civitelle.
The first mention of the town's name is in a "diploma" dated 1064, by the Count of Isernia.
The church of Santa Maria Assunta is of medieval origin. Its construction was completed probably in 1309, when it was cited for the first time in a notarial deed. On December 5, 1456, the church was totally destroyed by an earthquake that had as Frosolone as its epicenter. Reconstruction work ended in 1531, when it was consecrated.
Frosolone was victim to another earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
on July 26, 1805, which destroyed most of the buildings in town and killed 518 people. In 1860, Frosolone was officially annexed by the Kingdom of Italy. In 1864 the Post Office was opened; in 1866 a kerosene public lighting system was installed at the then-large outlay of 4,000 lira
Italian lira
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a “national subunit” of the euro...
.