In the region of Isernia in the province of Molise. The towns are about 1000 metres above sea level and are situated on mountain sides. Invaded first by the Saracens, then by the Barbarians, and destroyed by the earthquakes several times, the town went through a slow decline. Many rules succeeded to each other: the Angevins until 1800, the Aragonese and the Bourbons afterwards. The earthquakes in 1805 and the bombardments of the Great War caused serious damage to Isernia.

As far back as it is known, Carovilli was inhabited by the Sanniti Pentri. They fought with the Romans frequently and ultimately lost. You can still see ruins of their fortress today on Monte Ferrante, the mountain next to Carovilli. Around or before the 1800s, a monastery was built at Creta Rossa and a town grew around it. This became Carovilli.

Its neighbour, Castiglione, got its name from the fact that a church, it is believed, was built on top of ruins of a castle on a hill. This church was probably built in the 1600s. It has broken down over the centuries and still stands today known as "la chiesamond". A new church was built, Santa Maria, in the piazza but became too small for the population of 900. A new church was built beside it in 1903 and completed in the 1950s. Many modifications to it's design were made while it was being constructed. This was to commodate the decline in population which decreased to 400 by completion. One important item forgotten was where to put the bells. They were supposed to have gone on the "cuppola", rooftop" but today they are on the ground beside the church rang by hand. The church is named after their patron saint, San Nicola di Bari.

The town of Isernia rises in the western part of Molise, where the Sorde and Carpino tributaries flow into the Cavaliere river. It is a lively place, the urban layout of which reflects the old Roman design. The best season to visit it is spring, when you can enjoy a various, colorful landscape. A Roman colony in 263 BC, Isernia gradually acquired a remarkable importance in its relations with Rome.

Particularly noteworthy is the Municipal Museum, which houses sculptures and epigraphs of the Republican and Roman Ages as well as architectural fragments. Every year in June, the "donkey race" takes place in the Venafro amphitheater, where participants ride bareback donkeys and race in a circle. Isernia has crafts shops where, through the same skills of two thousand years ago, flutes, bagpipes, and tambourines are made. The most common crafts include embroideries, pillow laces, "pacole," bells and bas-reliefs in bronze.

Interesting monuments include the Fontana delle Fraterna (fountain, 13th-14th century), the cathedral (in neo-classical style, 14th century) built over a previous church, destroyed by the 1805 earthquake, and the church of San Francesco. The economy of the town is still based on the agricultural sector and on the commerce of agricultural products, while great importance is attached to the public sector which has expanded since Isernia Province was established in 1970. Some small production companies also operate in the foodstuffs sector. Lace-making is traditional here.