Villa de Capoa

Villa de Capoa is a 16,000-square-metre Italian-style garden near the centre of Campobasso. Tree-lined avenues, clipped hedges, marble statues and a wrought-iron entrance gate preserve its formal character.

Why it matters

The garden is one of the city's principal historic green spaces. Its layout combines an older Renaissance-era framework with the formal design developed in the 18th century.

What to notice

Hedge patterns and marble statues punctuate the avenues. The Liberty-style wrought-iron gate at Piazza Falcone e Borsellino is attributed to Campobasso craftsman Giuseppe Tucci. Other historic features include a late-15th-century sarcophagus, a well, a grotto and a circular platform.

Context and history

The grounds originally served the nearby monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. In the 18th century the property passed into private hands and was reshaped as a formal garden. Countess Marianna De Capoa placed the property in a charitable foundation in 1875; by 1929 the complex had passed to the municipality. Restoration in 2024–25 renewed planting and restored the historic boxwood parterres.