One of the most interesting matches of the thirty-first day of group F of the Serie D championship is the survival clash between Matese and Termoli. The objective of both teams is to remain in the category, even if the situations of the two teams are different: if the Molise players aim to avoid the play-outfor the Campanians the last glimmer of hope is represented by access to the end-of-season play-offs.
I decide to attend match of the “Pasqualino Ferrante” of Piedimonte Matese having never been to the center of Campania. Thus, I return to the foot of the Matese after a few months: in January I was in Bojano, a center in the province of Campobasso located in the Biferno valley bottom, on the opposite side, where I had the opportunity to see the fun challenge of the Molise Excellence between the Bojano and Guglionesi. The Matese, called by the ancients Tifernus Mons, is a limestone relief of the southern Apennines and separates Molise from Campania. The 2,050 meters of altitude of Monte Miletto, its highest peak, represents the culmination of this mountain group, which is rich in beech forests and high-altitude lakes. Piedimonte is located on the Caserta side and together with Bojano represents the only center clinging to this mountain to have reached Serie D.
I therefore arrive in Piedimonte in the late morning of a cool Sunday in April, characterized by a drop in temperatures that brought snow back to the slopes of central-southern Italy. To reach my destination I travel the Telesina, a road of fundamental importance that connects Caianello with Benevento and, above all, theHighway of the Sun With the’A16. It is called so because it passes through the ruins of Television, a Samnite and Roman city abandoned in the Middle Ages. I exit at Dragoni and find myself in the Alifana plain (from Alphaeus, a very important Roman city located near Piedimonte): my eyes can finally follow the profile of the Matese. The longest river in southern Italy flows through these parts, the Volturno, which flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea 175 km away from its sources.
I enter Piedimonte and my first stop is the train station, the terminus of the Ferrovia Alifana, a railway that begins in Naples, in Piazza Carlo III, and ends in the northern part of the region, passing through Giugliano, Aversa, Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Caiazzo and Alvignano. Subsequently I enter the beautiful historic center, surrounded by wonderful woods, very popular in the Neolithic. Piedimonte is a lively centre, inhabited by around 10,000 people. Its urban aspect shows a clear medieval imprint. At the time of the Lombards the locality of Mate was part of the county of Alife, then it was a fiefdom of various families. The inhabitants of Piedimonte had to face numerous attacks throughout history: in 1229 the besieging army was the papal army, engaged against Frederick II; in 1437 the militias of Cardinal Vitelleschi, enemy of Alfonso of Aragon, appeared at their doors. The piedmont center was then forced to defend itself from the attacks of the barons who rebelled against Ferrante of Aragon, then from the Spanish, and finally from the French. In the modern age this area was a thriving industrial centre, linked to wool processing, so much so that Piedimonte earned the nickname of city. Ercole d’Agnese was born here, a jurist known for having been president of the Neapolitan Republic, established in 1799 following the example of the other Jacobin republics that had been established in central-northern Italy following Napoleon Bonaparte’s first Italian Campaign ( 1796-1797). During my walk I observe very interesting monuments, such as the Dominican Convent of 1414, the Ducal Palace of the Gaetani of Aragon and many pretty churches. I notice fascinating portals, noble coats of arms and ancient columns everywhere. In the maze of stone alleys, then, fabulous views of the Matese and the Alifano area often open up.
Time passes too quickly, so, after taking the last photos in the historic center, I go to the “Ferrante”. Outside I see a monumental facade, some beautiful murals and some very interesting photos of Pro Piedimonte, club sports center founded in 1928. As always happens to me when I’m in a new place, I can’t wait to enter the belly of the facility dedicated to Pasqualino Ferrante, an unforgettable local administrator celebrated in an epigraph placed inside the structure. I collect the accreditation without problems and finally find myself on the green blanket of the Matesini house, made up of a beautiful covered grandstand, equipped with seats, on the sides of which the old steps can still be seen. The teams are warming up and I see the maximum concentration on the faces of the athletes in view of this challenge with very high stakes.
Just when I take the camera out of my backpack I hear chants coming from outside: the two groups of fans exchange certificates of mutual respect, which will then be punctuated during the match and also after the final whistle. I realize that the mutual respect is strengthened by the common rivalry with Vasto, reiterated on various occasions by the two groups during the match. However, there isn’t much time left until the start of the match, so the time has come for the Matesi and Termolo residents to settle down in the stands. The green and white supporters are on my left, the yellow and red ones on my right.
As the teams enter the field The ultras guests unroll a banner (“We will fight for Termoli”). The Bassano-Molisa team can count, in this delicate match, on the practically perfect support of its fans, who delivered a flawless performance: the people from Termoli support from the first to the last minute, never sparing themselves in vocal support, they constantly play the drum, perform clapping in large quantities, they always color the sector with flags and banners, they turn on some lights from time to time and carry out a very thick barrage on the notes of “Sea people”. The boys from Termoli stand out for their intention of coloring their space yellow-red, demonstrating that they totally recognize themselves in the chromatic notes of their team. The Termoli support is based on two simple elements but which ultimately represent the essence of Italian support: voice and lots of colour.
On the other side the Matesini arrange themselves behind a large number of patches of excellent workmanship, forming a compact square around them. I finally have the opportunity to photograph them, having never seen them in person. The ultras locals are appreciated for the commitment with which they try to create aggregation in a small center like Piedimonte. They also wave two flags, use the drum and perform several hand claps. For Matese today’s match is a sort of last resort: the sporting tension inevitably affects the local support, characterized by some pauses.
Termoli took the lead in the 46th minute of the first half through Gabrielli: this causes bad mood in the home crowd, who invariably sing choruses of dissatisfaction. In the second half, Matese was unable to grab an equalizer and in the 93rd minute they conceded the goal that (almost) condemned them to relegation: the second Adriatic goal threw the locals into despair and gave immense joy to the visiting supporters, who felt safety was closer.
At the end of the game the moods are diametrically opposed: it’s a big celebration for the people from Termoli, while strong disappointment spreads among the home fans. The two sets of fans, despite their opposing moods, do not fail to exchange their final certificates of esteem. For me the time comes to put the camera in my backpack, ready to face two hours of driving to get home: alone, as always, but happy to have put a new stadium and another wonderful experience in the archive.
Text and photos by Andrea Calabrese
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2024-04-27 15:18:05
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