Pastures, woods, ridges, lakes, caves and canyons make up a wild and unspoiled area, ideal for fans of hiking and biking. It is a Regional Park that extends for 33,000 hectares and covers 20 Campania municipalities between Molise and Campania. The oregano (Origanum vulgare) that flavours Franco Pepe pizzas grows wild on the Matese mountain chain, which is known for its calcareous soils and rocky slopes, often in correspondence with mountain roads. The flowering branches, white or lilac, are collected in the summer and then dried and stored in cool, dark places. A journey of discovery in the Matese area offers an authentic experience in a spectacular and unspoiled environment with pure water sources, monumental beech woods and naturalistic sites of world interest such as the Bosco degli Zappini in Fontegreca. It was among the Matese mountains, near Pietraroja, that the best-preserved dinosaur fossil in the world was found: the Scipionyx Samniticus, more simply known as “Ciro”. The key to discovering all the wonders of this area is "Love Matese", an association that collaborates with professional, expert and passionate guides who specialise in rural and natural tourism to offer tailored excursions and tourism services.
