Oct 15, 20202 min read

Benevento – One Of Campania’s Secrets

Benevento is a charming city filled with history, archaeological sites and marvellous landscapes. It is set in a flourishing and green environment and surrounded by the Campanian Apennines, between the rivers Sabato and Calore.

The Arch of Trajan is an ancient Roman triumphal arch in Benevento, southern Italy. It was erected in honour of the Emperor Trajan across the Via Appia, at the point where it enters the city.

The meaning of the name of the town is displayed by its former Latin name, meaning good or fair wind. In the imperial period, it was believed to have been founded by Diomedes after the Trojan War. Benevento brags a stunning artistic and historical heritage.

Owing to its cultural and artistic implication, the Santa Sofia Church in Benevento was announced as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, as part of a group of seven historic buildings inscribed as Longobards in Italy, Places of Power (568–774 A.D.)

Benevento is a town rich in aesthetic and historical attractions. You can visit the beautiful Cathedral in the old town centre, built around the twelfth century, and unfortunately bombed in 1943. The exterior is open by blind arches and balcony above, where there are Roman fragments, Lombard graves and various sculptures. Exceptional is the bell tower that dates back to 1279, while the interior comes with five aisles.

To perfect the visit of Benevento Leproso, it is recommended to walk to the bridges Leproso and Valentino located just outside the city. Also do not miss the Villa dei Papi, mansions built between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries and the baroque Church of San Bartolomeo.

A visit to the ruins of the historic Roman Theatre is a must. It is still well preserved and used for various theatrical performances.

Food

The elements of Sannio’s cuisine have been alike for centuries: fresh handmade pasta, extra-virgin olive oil, sheep, beef and pork, honey, cheese, fruits and selected dried fruits. The food here has strong and extremely rich flavours which were once defined as poor mostly because of the village roots.

From pasta with mutton sauce, cheese, the local eggs, soup and sausage pie to thistle soup, stuffed mushrooms, grilled meat, vegetables in oil, maize bread and biscuits. The options are neverending and adapted to every palate. Among the best examples of the local products, the cheese is extraordinary, as is the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and the famous Torrone; it was produced even by the Romans and was considered the typical Samnite dessert.

Torrone or Italian Nougat, Credit: By Chef Iso

These delicacies call for great wines, and Strega digestif is a classic delicacy from Benevento, that is famous worldwide for its bright yellow color and unique flavor.

Benevento, rich in history and culture, presents a pleasant change to the traditional and heavy tourist areas of nearby Naples and the Amalfi Coast. The city provides the traveller with an opportunity to experience a little bit of a southern Italian town. Its unique combination of mountains, ancient ruins, and rural setting lets one absorb the more typical feel of daily life.