After seeing the monuments, we asked ourselves: what can you do in Benevento to really live it, and not just visit it? Here are the experiences we recommend, from walks and shows to legends, flavours and a few day trips.
A stroll along Corso Garibaldi
Our first suggestion is simple: walk. Corso Garibaldi is the main axis of the historic centre, and along its route you come across many of the city's landmark sites, from the cathedral to the Rocca dei Rettori. Overlooking the street is Palazzo Paolo V, with its austere lines in Mannerist style, built towards the end of the sixteenth century and long the seat of the town council, ever since the days of papal rule. Today it houses cultural spaces and a small museum devoted to the witches of Benevento.
We walked it both in the morning and at sunset: in the evening the Corso fills with people and becomes the city's living room. If you want to know what to visit along the way, you will find everything in What to visit in Benevento.
A show at the Roman Theatre
Visiting the Roman Theatre by day is lovely, but watching a show under the stars is something else. In summer the theatre, inaugurated under Emperor Hadrian and reopened to the public in 1957, hosts opera seasons, plays and concerts. We recommend checking the programme before your trip.
And if you happen to be in the city in September, ask about Benevento Città Spettacolo, the festival of theatre, music and cinema held every year since 1980, which brings squares and historic sites to life.
On the trail of the janare
You can't stay in Benevento without hearing about the janare, the witches of popular tradition. According to legend they gathered under the walnut tree of Benevento, a tree that stood along the Sabato river, reciting a formula before taking flight. The origins of the myth are often linked to the pagan rites of the Lombards, and tradition has it that Bishop Saint Barbatus had the walnut tree cut down in the 7th century.
We enjoyed hunting for references to the witches around the city: shop signs, symbols, souvenirs. You will find the full story in The janare: the legend of the witches of Benevento.
A walk through the Hortus Conclusus
An experience unlike the usual ones is entering the Hortus Conclusus, the garden of the former convent of San Domenico that Mimmo Paladino transformed in 1992 into a space for contemporary art. Among ancient walls, fragments of columns and bronze sculptures, such as the large horse, you move almost as if along an initiatory path. We found it a great way to take a break from the pace of sightseeing. We talk about it in The Rocca dei Rettori and the Hortus Conclusus.
Taste torrone and Strega
Benevento is also a city to savour. The first taste we recommend is torrone, one of the most famous specialities of Sannio, to which we have devoted Benevento torrone. The second is Strega liqueur, born in the city in 1860: it owes its yellow colour to saffron and its name to the legend of the witches. We tell its story in our article on Strega liqueur.
For the rest of the table, from cicatielli to festive dishes, see What to eat in Benevento; for the local wines, there is our guide to the wines of the Benevento area.
A trip into nature or faith
If you have half a day free, leave the city. A few kilometres away is Pietrelcina, the birthplace of Padre Pio, a destination for many pilgrims but also interesting for those simply looking for a quiet village. Those who love walking can instead head for the Taburno-Camposauro massif, with its woods and views over the valley: you will find ideas in The Taburno-Camposauro Park.
How to get there and when to go
By train, Benevento is connected to Naples and Caserta; by car you arrive via the motorway link road that joins the A16. In the city you will get around on foot, while for day trips a car is handy. Summer is perfect for open-air shows, September for the city festival, spring and autumn for hikes. Check opening times and tickets on the official website before you set off.
In the surroundings
To plan your days out of town, start from our guide Benevento and its surroundings. If you are short on time you can follow our itinerary A weekend in Benevento; if you want to discover the origins of Saint Pio, you will find everything in Pietrelcina, the places of Saint Pio. And if torrone intrigues you, also read The torrone of San Marco dei Cavoti, devoted to the village of San Marco dei Cavoti.
Top photo (Benevento): Dэя-Бøяg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
