Campobasso

File:Campobasso Campanile S. Bartolomeo.jpg

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|date=February 2011}} 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.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

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.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

The original old town of Campobasso contains the Castello Monforte, although in 1732 the inhabitants built a new town on a lower-level plain.{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/91400/Campobasso|title=Campobasso|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=22 January 2013}} 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").{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

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.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} 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".Nicholson, G.W.L. The Gunners of Canada Vol. II. Beauceville: Imprimerie L'Éclaireur, 1972. p 162.

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.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

One of the main attractions 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 (including Samnite walls) have been found. The current construction is the result of later rebuilding after the earthquakes of 1456 and 1805.

Next to the castle is the 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.

The 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.

The church of San Bartolomeo is a Romanesque building from the 11th century, in limestone. The interior has a nave and two aisles.

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.

{{See also|List of mayors of Campobasso}}

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy}}

Campobasso is twinned with:

• {{flagicon|CAN}} Ottawa, Canada
• {{flagicon|ALB}} Lezhë, Albania
• {{flagicon|MEX}} Frontera Hidalgo, Mexico
• {{flagicon|USA}} Mahopac, United States
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Vladimir, Russia
• {{flagicon|BIH}} Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina{{cite web|url=http://www.banjaluka.rs.ba/front/category/64/|script-title=sr:Градови партнери|access-date=9 August 2013|work=Administrative Office of the City of Banja Luka|language=sr|trans-title=City of Banja Luka - Partner cities|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917132032/http://www.banjaluka.rs.ba/front/category/64/|archive-date=17 September 2011}}
• {{flagicon|Italy}} Sassari, Italy

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.

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.

The urban public transport consists of 23 lines of autobus managed by the SEAC company.

Situated {{convert|701|m|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 {{convert|13|°C|F}}, with winter to summer ranging from {{convert|4|to|23|C|F}} on average. During the winter, snowfalls are frequent. The wettest time of year is the autumn with about {{convert|77|mm|in}} of rain each November.

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| collapsed = yes

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| location = Campobasso (1991–2020)

| Jan high C = 7.4

| Feb high C = 7.9

| Mar high C = 11.3

| Apr high C = 14.8

| May high C = 19.5

| Jun high C = 24.6

| Jul high C = 27.6

| Aug high C = 28.1

| Sep high C = 22.1

| Oct high C = 17.7

| Nov high C = 12.2

| Dec high C = 8.2

| year high C = 16.8

| Jan mean C = 4.4

| Feb mean C = 4.5

| Mar mean C = 7.3

| Apr mean C = 10.6

| May mean C = 15.1

| Jun mean C = 19.8

| Jul mean C = 22.4

| Aug mean C = 22.8

| Sep mean C = 17.6

| Oct mean C = 13.7

| Nov mean C = 9.2

| Dec mean C = 5.4

| year mean C = 12.7

| Jan low C = 2.0

| Feb low C = 1.7

| Mar low C = 4.2

| Apr low C = 7.1

| May low C = 11.2

| Jun low C = 15.6

| Jul low C = 18.1

| Aug low C = 18.5

| Sep low C = 14.2

| Oct low C = 10.7

| Nov low C = 6.7

| Dec low C = 3.2

| year low C = 9.4

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 66.4

| Feb precipitation mm = 51.2

| Mar precipitation mm = 57.3

| Apr precipitation mm = 62.4

| May precipitation mm = 58.2

| Jun precipitation mm = 49.8

| Jul precipitation mm = 34.9

| Aug precipitation mm = 39.3

| Sep precipitation mm = 57.5

| Oct precipitation mm = 58.6

| Nov precipitation mm = 76.8

| Dec precipitation mm = 61.0

| year precipitation mm = 673.5

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 8.5

| Feb precipitation days = 8.0

| Mar precipitation days = 8.3

| Apr precipitation days = 9.0

| May precipitation days = 7.7

| Jun precipitation days = 5.5

| Jul precipitation days = 3.8

| Aug precipitation days = 4.5

| Sep precipitation days = 6.5

| Oct precipitation days = 6.8

| Nov precipitation days = 9.0

| Dec precipitation days = 8.8

| year precipitation days = 86.5

| Jan humidity = 76.7

| Feb humidity = 73.9

| Mar humidity = 70.4

| Apr humidity = 67.3

| May humidity = 66.7

| Jun humidity = 62.4

| Jul humidity = 58.3

| Aug humidity = 59.0

| Sep humidity = 67.7

| Oct humidity = 72.9

| Nov humidity = 77.5

| Dec humidity = 78.2

| year humidity = 69.2

| Jan dew point C = 0.5

| Feb dew point C = -0.2

| Mar dew point C = 1.9

| Apr dew point C = 4.2

| May dew point C = 8.3

| Jun dew point C = 11.3

| Jul dew point C = 12.4

| Aug dew point C = 13.2

| Sep dew point C = 11.3

| Oct dew point C = 8.8

| Nov dew point C = 5.5

| Dec dew point C = 1.9

| year dew point C = 6.6

| Jan sun = 157.8

| Feb sun = 156.5

| Mar sun = 186.6

| Apr sun = 207.9

| May sun = 245.2

| Jun sun = 265.5

| Jul sun = 296.7

| Aug sun = 287.7

| Sep sun = 219.9

| Oct sun = 183.8

| Nov sun = 149.7

| Dec sun = 140.7

| year sun = 2498.1

| source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Campobasso_16252.csv

|title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Campobasso

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = February 4, 2024}}

| source =

}}

• Fred Bongusto, singer
• Alberto Bonucci, actor
• Dino Bravo, professional wrestler
• Tony Dallara, singer
• Pasquale Gravina, volleyball player
• Tito Mattei, classical music composer
• Fabrizio Brienza, model and actor

• University of Molise
• Campobasso Calcio
• Campobasso railway station

{{reflist}}

{{EB1911 poster |Campobasso}}

• {{commons-inline}}

{{Province of Campobasso}}

{{Regional Capitals of Italy}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities and towns in Molise