Do you have just 24 hours to get to know the capital of Sannio? We suggest a local itinerary with three must-see stops. Benevento lies in a basin at the heart of the Campanian Apennines and combines a rich historical and artistic heritage with a food tradition rooted in the land.
First Maleventum, then Beneventum and finally Benevento: the city has been Samnite, Roman, Lombard and papal, and every era has left its mark.
The stops on the itinerary
1. Arch of Trajan
It is the city's symbol and the best-preserved Roman honorary arch. It has a single archway and stands 15.60 metres high; it was erected between AD 114 and 117 at the start of the Via Traiana to celebrate the emperor's rule. The limestone block structure is faced with marble and almost entirely covered in reliefs.
2. Benevento Cathedral
Of Lombard origin, it was consecrated in 780 and dedicated to Santa Maria de Episcopio. Over the centuries it was transformed several times, both because of damage from the earthquakes of 1456, 1688 and 1702 and through extensions, until the bombing of 1943 hit it hard.
👉 Place page: Benevento Cathedral
3. Roman Theatre
It dates from the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD and stands in the western part of the ancient city. The cavea measures about 98 metres in diameter; the tiers and the stage were faced with marble, and traces of decorative slabs and stucco still remain today.
👉 Place page: Roman Theatre of Benevento
If you stay for the weekend
The city has many more places to discover. We particularly recommend the church of Santa Sofia, founded in 760 by the Lombard duke Arechis II and since 2011 a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of Longobards in Italy: Places of Power.
👉 Place page: Church of Santa Sofia
Useful information
- Recommended transport: car
- Duration: 1 day
- Type: local itinerary, 3 stops
Source: Regione Campania – Ecosistema digitale per la cultura
