Larinum

In Roman times, Larinum (today Larino) was a thriving and large settlement of ancient origin, located in the hills of the hinterland at an altitude of about 400 m, not far (about 26 km) from the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Due to its strategic location, the settlement was of considerable importance: it stretched over a large, fertile and flat area (today's Piana San Leonardo), overlooking the valley floor and the lower course of the Biferno river. It also served an important road junction, as it was located at the convergence of important road axes, which allowed profitable trade exchanges. Larinum saw prosperity and economic development, which already reached its peak in the 3rd century BC, likely due to its geographical features, favourable climate and fertile, easy to cultivate soil. This made it a frontier town and a crossroads of cultures, between the Adriatic coast and the inland area of Samnium, always open to the influences of different cultural environments, as confirmed by the archaeological remains, which attest to the existence of a rich and populous town even before the Punic Wars.