One of the highest villages in the Apennines, famous for record snowfalls
At about 1,420 metres above sea level, in the mountains of upper Molise, Capracotta is one of the highest municipalities in the Apennines, a village of stone houses perched on a ridge, with sweeping views over the mountains of Molise and Abruzzo, the Majella and, on clear days, the Adriatic. It is famous throughout Italy for its snowfalls, among the most abundant in the Apennines: on 5 March 2015, about 2.5 metres of snow fell here in less than a day, a figure reported as a possible world record for daily snowfall, and the images of the village buried in snow went around the world. In winter, Capracotta is a destination for cross-country skiing, with the trails of Prato Gentile, among the most beautiful in the South, which have hosted national competitions, and for snowshoeing.
In summer, Capracotta offers a cool climate, ideal for those fleeing the heat, and many paths through beech woods and pastures. Here is the Giardino della Flora Appenninica, a botanical garden at about 1,500 metres, which preserves hundreds of species of plants of the Apennines, including rare and endemic flowers, in a natural setting. The village preserves an authentic mountain atmosphere, with its church of Santa Maria in Cielo Assunta, its lanes and the traditions of shepherding and transhumance, still alive in the production of cheeses such as caciocavallo and pecorino. In August, the village celebrates the "Pezzata", a festival in which mutton cooked in large cauldrons in the open air is offered, a tradition linked to the shepherds who returned from transhumance.
Tip: in winter, ski on the trails of Prato Gentile; in summer, visit the botanical garden and taste the local caciocavallo.
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