Are two days in Benevento enough to fall in love with it? We say yes, as long as you plan well. We have put together an itinerary that alternates monuments, museums, walks and a trip out of town, at the right pace to enjoy the weekend without rushing.
Before you leave: how to plan
The historic centre is compact and can be explored entirely on foot, so our advice is to stay in the centre and keep the car for the second day's trip. Before you leave, take a look at 3 must-see places in Benevento, which will help you get to grips with the main stops. And remember that churches and museums may have different opening hours at weekends and on public holidays.
Saturday morning: from the Arch of Trajan to the cathedral
We start from the Arch of Trajan, built between AD 114 and 117 to celebrate the opening of the Via Traiana. In the morning light the marble reliefs are easier to read. Right next door, in the Lombard church of Sant'Ilario a Port'Aurea, a multimedia exhibition tells the story of the arch.
From here we continue to the cathedral, rebuilt after the bombing of 1943 and reopened in 2012. Beneath the cathedral we recommend the underground route of the Diocesan Museum, where you descend through centuries of history, layer after layer. A few steps further on is the Arco del Sacramento, the ancient southern entrance to the Forum.
Saturday afternoon and evening: Santa Sofia, the Corso and the Theatre
After lunch we devote our time to Santa Sofia, the church commissioned by Arechis II around 760 and a UNESCO site since 2011, and to the nearby Museo del Sannio, in the cloister. Then it's time for a stroll along Corso Garibaldi, overlooked by the sixteenth-century Palazzo Paolo V.
For the evening we have two suggestions. In summer, check the programme of the Roman Theatre, which hosts open-air concerts and shows. The rest of the year you can look for a show at the Teatro Comunale Vittorio Emanuele. In September, on the other hand, the city comes alive with Benevento Città Spettacolo, the festival held every year since 1980.
Sunday morning: the Rocca, the Hortus Conclusus and Egyptian Benevento
Sunday begins at the Rocca dei Rettori, with its Lombard keep and the papal palace of 1321. Not far away is the Hortus Conclusus, the garden transformed by Mimmo Paladino into an open-air work of art: for us it was one of the surprises of the weekend. If you still have energy, the Museo Arcos holds the finds from the temple of Isis, and along Viale San Lorenzo the granite Apis Bull awaits you.
Lunch is the time to taste the cuisine of Sannio: cicatielli, soups and, to finish, a piece of torrone. We tell you what to order in What to eat in Benevento, and to choose the right wine see our guide to the wines of the Benevento area.
Sunday afternoon: a day trip
For the afternoon we take the car. We recommend two options. The first is Pietrelcina, a few kilometres away, the birthplace of Padre Pio, with the house where he was born and the places of his youth. The second is Sant'Agata de' Goti, one of the most scenic villages in the province, with its houses built on a spur of tuff. If you love vineyard landscapes, head instead towards Solopaca and the hills of the Taburno.
How to get there and when to go
Benevento has a railway station on the line to Naples and Caserta; by car you arrive via the motorway link road connected to the A16. In our view, the ideal weekend is in spring or early autumn, with pleasant temperatures for walking. In summer it can be hot, but the evenings at the Roman Theatre make up for it. Check opening times and tickets on the official website before you set off.
In the surroundings
If the weekend felt too short, our guide Benevento and its surroundings will help you plan your return. To explore the city further read Things to do in Benevento and What to visit in Benevento; for the Sunday trip, you will find everything in Pietrelcina, the places of Saint Pio and Sant'Agata de' Goti.
Top photo (Benevento): Dэя-Бøяg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
