Termoli (local dialect: Térml) is a town and commune on the Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. It has a population of around 30,000, having expanded quickly after World War II, and it is a local resort town known for its beaches and old fortifications. Once it was known only as a fishing port, but in the new millennium it is a favourite resort for Italian families.

History

Human settlements existed in Termoli since pre-historical times, as showed by the presence of ancient necropolises. The Romans patricians had villae in the nearby coast.

The first news of today's city dates to the presence of the ancestor of the current cathedral, documented in the 10th century. Termoli was a Lombard county until the arrival of the Normans, under which flourished and expanded. Later devastations meant a period of decay which lasted until around 1770, when the local nobles were permitted by the Kings of Naples to build new edifices along the coast and in direction of the countryside.

Termoli is rapidly becoming one of the most important centres in the Molise. The latter region suffered from depopulation in the years after World War II and there has been a migration from the internal hill towns to the coastal resort. In fact Termoli is beginning to rival Campobasso, the province's Capital, in size and prestige. Its status as the pre-eminent resort site is now being challenged by Campomarino, about five kilometeres southward.

Main sights

Historical old town

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), entitled to St. Mary of the Purification: it is a noteworthy example of Apulian Romanesque architecture which houses the relics of the two city's patrons, Bassus and Timoteus. The upper part of the façade was destroyed by an earthquake in 1456, and also suffered by the Turk sack of the city in 1566. The Baroque additions were eliminated in the restoration of 1930-1969, returning the edifice to its original appearance. Part of a pre-existing basilica, built in the 11th century (over the original, smaller cathedral called Ecclesia Sanctae Mater) but soon destroyed, have been found under the edifice The Castle is the most preeminent structure in Termoli: erected by count Robert 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.

Seaside resort

Termoli's resorts are renowned for the quality of its beaches and the relative purity of its waters.

Very few non-Italians stay in the community. Increasingly tourists to Molise are from the Naples region and Puglia (just to the south of Molise). Recently huge palm trees have been planted along the seaside walkway and, in the summer, the many restaurants are crowded with visitors from surrounding communities.

Within a radius of about twenty-five kilometers from Termoli travellers can reach the hilltowns of Larino, Casacalenda, Montorio and Monte Longo which preserve a way of life which is disappearing in other, more developed, parts of Italy.