Termoli (Molise)

Termoli is a town on the Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. Once it was known only as a fishing port, but in the new millennium it is a favourite resort for Italian families. The old town has been well restored. It is a genuine walled community jutting out into the sea. Many of the houses have been re-built and painted in a range of pastel colours. In a central square there is the cathedral (12th-13th century), dedicated to St. Mary of the Purification. The Castle is the most pre-eminent structure in Termoli: erected by count Robert I of Loritello during the Norman domination (11th century), it was largely renovated during the rule of Frederick II (1240), after the damage created by an attack of the Venetian fleet. The Castle was part of a wider fortification system, including a wall surrounding the entire city, of which only a tower can still be seen. Termoli's resorts are renowned for the quality of their beaches and the relative purity of their waters. Within a radius of about 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Termoli travellers can find the hilltowns of Larino, Casacalenda, Montorio, and Montelongo, which preserve a rural way of life which is disappearing in other, more developed, parts of Italy.