This town lies at 701 m. above sea level, on the hilly ridge between the basins of the Biferno and Fortore rivers. A centre of medieval origin, it was part of the Lombard Duchy of Benevento. From the 11th century, it shared the fortunes of the Kingdom of Sicily (later of Naples and of the Two Sicilies) though it was held by various local overlords (of which the most famous was Monforte) until the seventeenth century. It was united with the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.

Campobasso was built round a hill with the Castello Monforte (dating back to 9th century, rebuilt in 16th century) on its crest. In the oldest part of the town, with many interesting features, stand the splendid sixteenth century church of Sant'Antonio Abate and the Romanesque churches of San Giorgio and San Bartolomeo. With regard to the town's economy, the agricultural sector is still of great importance, while industrial activity is limited to small factories mostly working in the processing of agricultural products (mills, distilleries and oil factories) and textiles. The services sector is important in the field of public employment, linked to the administration of the regional and provincial capital. There is also craft production of knives and scissors.

The mysteries of Campobasso

Campobasso is renown for the procession of the "Mysteries", . In the chief town of the region we can see the procession of the "Mysteries", special machines created, away back in 1748 to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, by Paolo Saverio Di Zinno, an artist of the Neapolitan school.

The streets of the town are busy with thousands of people who come from all over the region and, today, even from all over Italy. The Fair of the Mysteries is steeped in popular spirituality and is capable of recalling the fourteenth-century mystery plays from which it probably originated. The Mysteries are living pictures enacted by men, women and children, in an allegorical representation of the major feasts of the Church and of episodes from the Bible.

The structures are made of a very flexible steel alloy, resting on bases of wood. The thirteen Mysteries are carried in procession on the shoulders of the bearers, accompanied by the rhythm of the music played by the band. Anyone seeing them for the first time is really amazed, for it is a fascinating, fantastic sight. The Mysteries represent St.Isidore, Mary Magdalen, St.Anthony Abbot, the Immaculate Conception, St.Leonard, St.Roch, St.Michael, St.Nicholas, St.Crispin, St.Gennaro, Abraham, the Assumption and - the most recently reconstructed according to the original design - the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The people of Campobasso are proud of the Fair of the Mysteries, which is the most famous sacred representation in the entire region.