Photo of Castiglione today

The Roots of the Children of Castiglione di Carovilli

Castiglione native, Pierino Rossi, captures the pastoral way of life, daily struggles, and enduring spirit of the townspeople of Castiglione.

Nestled in the picturesque mountains of Molise, Italy, the small town of Castiglione di Carovilli was built on a deep-rooted history of agriculture, animal breeding, and craftsmanship. Economic progress of the mid-20th century has relentlessly chipped away at the traditional way of life. What makes Castiglione remarkable is the unique approach the community devised to overcome the hardships of life.

In fact, the community life of the town was its most valuable asset, enabling the people to survive nature’s challenges, famines, wars, and sometimes thieves.

An copper pot with two handles on either side

Walk in the shoes of the townspeople

Learn about farming methods and tools and how the townspeople shared responsibilities that prevented famines; how their houses were designed and built; the typical life of various occupations such as shoemaking and stone masonry; their strategy to prevent loss of life during World War II; the kind of food they ate including recipes and more!

Photo of pizzelle cookies

Purchase your copy

Order your copy directly from the author's son! Email Daniele at rossi.daniele@gmail.com for details. Cost is $35 plus shipping and all proceeds go to helping fix the church in Castiglione. Email for more details.

About the author

Pierino Rossi was born in Castiglione di Carovilli, Italy and spent the first 25 years of his life in this beautiful hamlet in the mountains of the Molise region, working on the family farm in the summers and attending surveyor school in the winter. He loved and appreciated the simple village life and the rich family traditions he learned from his grandmother.

After immigrating to Toronto, Canada, he worked his way up in the construction industry before retiring as site superintendent. Since then, Pierino has spent time helping descendants of i castiglionesi trace their family roots back to his childhood home.

Pierino was married with two children and two grandchildren.

We miss him dearly.

The Rossi Family