The region of Molise is located in south-central Italy; south-east of Lazio and Abruzzo, north of Campania, and north-west of Puglia. Like Abruzzi, Molise was caught in a time warp for many years because of it's mountainous area. It is known for it's beauty and age old life style.
The Region of Molise was created in 1963. Between 1864 and 1963 the area of Molise was part of the now-defunct Region of Abruzzi e Molise. In 1806 a province named Molise was created, with 2 districts: Campobasso and Isernia; which are today the names of the two provinces of the Region of Molise. Prior to 1861, a vast province named *Terra di Lavoro existed in the area of the present-day provinces of Frosinone in the region of Lazio, and Caserta in the region of Campania. At some point (c. 1814 - 1862) parts of present-day Molise were also included in Terra di Lavoro. Keep these facts in mind when searching for a particular village or when looking at old documents.
The Province of Terra di Lavoro was part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which existed between the Middle Ages and it's inclusion in the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
When searching for ancestors in this area you will sometimes need to take into consideration the terrain. Because it is such a sparsely populated area the towns tend to be on the smaller side. When writing always do so in Italian, results will be better. Also consider the fact that this area has been bombed during War and has suffered numerous earth quakes. So some records may not exist. There are always other avenues to explore so if one doesn't work out try another.
