Benevento:

A city full of history

Classe
s:
•III D
•III E
How to get to
Benevento!!!
 Benevento, a city of
General Campania, is the capital of its
features district and is situated on the
hill Guardia, between the
rivers Sabato and Calore, in
the middle of a circle of
mountains. It was
founded by
the Samnite
people.

Class III D: Gerardo Giallonardo

 History
Beneventum was the capital of
of the Samnite people with the
name of Maleventum. When it
was conquered by the Romans
in III and IV centuries B.C. Its
name changed into
Beneventum. The city was
destroyed and then rebuilt
under the Longobard power
(571 A.D.)The last Longobard
prince, Landolpho was won by
the Normans and died in
1077. Benevento remained
subjected to the Pope for
more than eight centuries and
 The geographical position
The Sannitic of the province of
Population Benevento has made
Sannio, the centre of many
war-like events that have
interested the south of
Italy. The Longobards, the
Bizantines, the Sannitics
and many others, have all
left their marks on
Benevento and on the
Sannio area. The legend
tells that Benevento was
founded by Diomede who
landed on the costs of
Puglia after the destruction
of Troia. But it is more likely
that Benevento was
founded
Class III D: Tarquinio Sbordoneby the Oscis, and
Benevento
became
historically
important when
the Sannitic
warriors
defeated the
roman soldiers
in the battle
called “forche
caudine” The story says that general Ponzio
(caudin forks Telesino captured two roman legions
is a metaphor and subjugated them by making them
which means: pass under a bridge made with three
bitter lances so that the enemy defeat could
humiliation). be watched by everyone and the won
could be humiliated.
Class III D: Tarquinio Sbordone
General features In spite of the earthquake
of 1688 and the bombings
of the II world war,
Benevento has preserved
its middle ages historical
centre with remarkable
monuments of great
historical and artistic
value. The Arch of
Trajanus, the Theatre of II
century, the Leproso
bridge, the Cathedral, the
Castle or Rectors, Santa
Sofia’s (VIII cent.) where
you can find the Museum
of Sannio, and San
Bartolomeo’s, a church
General
features
The local economy is
based on industry;
besides the traditional
productions of nougat,
chocolate, biscuits and
Strega liquor,other
important sectors have
developed; the beer The productions are:
and wood industries. cereals, olives,
The Province, which potatoes, grapes,
includes 78 towns in a tobacco. There are
mainly mountain also many raisings of
territory, is particularly calves and sheep.
devoted to agriculture.
The Longobards The
were a German Longobards
population that
dominated the
Italian peninsula
from half the VIII
century, and
deeply influenced
the Italian political
establishment and
the local culture in
the following
centuries.
Benevento was
among the most
important
Longobard Orsola De Simone III E
 Leproso bridge
The Leproso Bridge, in Benevento, led to Brindisi
and to Eastern countries through via Appia. This
important Roma monument was restored by
Appio Claudio, L. Settimio Severo and M. Aurelio
Antonino. It was called “Leproso” (which means
“affected by leper”) during Middle Ages while
first it was called “Marble Bridge”.
The river
Sabato flows
under its four
arches. The
name Sabato
comes from
Sabba, that is
the typical
dance of the
Calore Bridge
The Calore Bridge joins viale Principe di Napoli with
some important Benevento monuments: Santa
Sofia’s, the Arch of Traianus and the Cathedral. It
is very old and was destroyed by bombings during
the II world war and then rebuilt in the sixties.

During the last

five years the
amount of water
has considerably
diminished and,
with this, also the
fear of river floods
among Benevento
inhabitants
 Benevento
The legend of the witches witches
dancing around a nut-tree
comes from the
Longobards, in fact it was
the warriors who first did
the dance. Saint Barbato
helped by Teodorata, wife
to the Longobard duke, in
664 converted to
Christendom the new
owners of Benevento and
ordered to cut down the
tree and also forbid to
venerate the golden viper.
But the legend says that
from the roots of the tree
another snake was born
The Roman
theatre
The Roman Theatre is
situated in the heart of
Benevento historical
centre not far from
Port’Arsa. Its
construction started
under the emperor
Adrian and finished at
the end of the second
century: it has a 90 mt
diameter and three
orders of arcades but
the upper orders are
missing. In a good state
are the stage, which has
been recently restored,
Santa The church was
Sofia’s completed by Arechi II,
duke of Benevento, and
was inaugurated in 762
A.D. in order to keep the
relics of the protecting
saints of the Longobard
people.

The church plant is half circular

and half star-shaped; it has two
concentric corridors, created by
pillars and columns, that form a
central hexagon and an external
Santa Sofia’s

The corridors hold up the vault creating suggestive

effects of light and shades. The perimeter of the church
of Saint Sofia, delimits a a circumference that has a
diameter of meters 23,50. Inside the church there are
visible visible traces of the original frescos of the VIII
and IX sec. On the left one the history of S. Giovanni
Battista, with the angel that announces the next birth
represented of his child and Saint Zaccaria, is
represented. In the fresco on the right is the
 The Arch of Trajanus
The arch of the Trajanus
was erected to celebrate
the extension of the
Appia street in the
stretch between
Benevento and Brindisi,
and it was dedicated to
the Emperor Trajanus
114 A.D. It is among the
best preserved
monuments of the
Roman age, and is mt
15,60 toll and mt 8,60
wide. It is decorated with
admirable bas-reliefs
that celebrate the
achievements of the
Trajanus age.
A beautiful old The Castle of the
town situated
in Rectors
Campania.The
castle of Rector
is one of the
loveliest
castles in the
country.It was
first built in the
ninth century.
Is situated in
Piazza 4th
November.Tod
ay it is favorite
with visitors for
its beautiful
 Hortus
The garden is a
conclusus permanent open-
air exhibition of
Mimmo Paladino’s
works. The statues
contrast
harmonically with
Roman remains
which witness the
ancient and
complex culture of
Benevento and
Sannio region.

Class III E: Rosa Molinaro

 Padre Pio from Pietrelcina
Pietrelcina is the perfect place if
you want to spend a day far
away from the noise and chaos
of the city ,and be at place with
yourself and your own soul.
Pietrelcina is a little village on
the Sannio hills. It is about 12
km from Benevento which is the
capital of the province.
The origins of Pietrelcina are
very remote, but this isn’t the
main reason why it is different
from many other little towns in
the province. Class III E: Giovanni De Cianni
 Padre Pio
Pietrelcina is a blessed town,
and it was made such by
Padre Pio, the most famous of
its children.
Padre Pio was born and many
pilgrims come and visit the
places where he grew up. In
Pietrelcina every stone seems
to talk about the saint, every
breath of wind seems to carry
his fragrance because this
monk has left an indelible
trace on whatever he saw,
A metropolitan
legend
This story happened ten
years ago: one day two
boys saw a beautiful girl
in the street and went to
her. She didn’t speak and
they couldn’t see her
eyes because she kept
her head bent. They went
to “Pizzeria romana” and
the boys offered her a
meal. The girl was very
slim but, in spite of that,
she ate 15 chickens and
20 hamburgers!!
Class III E: Giovanni PirozziClass III E: Giovanni Pirozzi
 A metropolitan
legend
Finally the girl asked the boys
to give her a lift to Ponticelli,
the district of Benevento
which is near the cemetery.
They remained in the car and
watched her entering a door.
Soon after she went out again
heading for the cemetery.
After a while a lightening hit
her, she rose in the air and
then disappeared. The
morning after the cemetery
guardian found the boys in the
car frozen by fear! I hope you
will believe this story because,
Class III E: even if it sounds absurd
Giovanni Pirozzi
Class III E: Giovanni Pirozzi
IT IS TRUE!!!l