Saepinum, Benevento and Santa Maria Capua Vetere

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Our main destination today was Saepinum, where we (and very few others) wandered around the extensively excavated town that dates from the 3rd century BC, when the Romans captured the original Samnite city.  All the elements of an ancient Roman city -- theater, shops, homes, market hall, forum, temples, basilica, walls, and gates -- are arrayed along two intersecting streets.  The signage was good, the day was beautiful, and this site is largely ignored by the tourists who swarm other ruins. There were a couple of tour groups there when we arrived, but they soon departed, and there were few others walking the grounds.  In the Middle Ages, homes were built within, upon, and around the Roman walls and they remain today, some occupied, others not, some even incorporated into the upper decks of the amphitheater. The archaeological complex at Saepinum is open all the time and, beautifully nestled at the foot of the Matese mountains in the region of Molise, it's a real gem, should you find yourself in the neighborhood!

Back in the region of Campania, we stopped to see Trajan's Arch in Benevento.  The massive and highly decorated arch celebrates the military, civic, and imperial achievements of the Emperor Trajan.  It stands alone in a quiet circle fronting a large piazza, and seems every bit as impressive the Arch of Constantine, adjacent to the Colosseum in Rome -- and, without the crowds.

From one end of the city to another, Benevento was decked out this afternoon to celebrate its soccer team.  Red and yellow streamers proclaiming, "Forza Benevento" criss-crossed every street, flags hung from windows and balconies, banners with photos of the players hung across the streets, and vendors sold red and yellow team jerseys on street corners.  Though things were quiet when we passed through, something big was clearly in the works.

Back in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, we visited our next-door Roman Amphitheater, which is second in size only to Rome's Colosseum.  Again, we had the place pretty much to ourselves, as we wandered under the arches and corridors into the arena.  Very few of the seats were visible, most are still covered under piles of stone and earth.  We were able to walk around the underground tunnels and passageways where gladiators once trod, and which are now lined with stones, columns, capitals, and other fragments that have been unearthed.  We also had a nice view of our patio, just outside the archaeological enclosure.

A few blocks away, we visited the museum that holds a wealth of local archaeological finds; it was an impressive collection.  A museum employee led us to the nearby Mithreaum, an underground temple dedicated to the Persian god, Mitra; discovered in 1922, its frescoes date to the 2nd century BC.







The large piazza near our apartment has several bocce courts and the local men seem to have them in constant use. Actually, it's just a variation on a theme we see all over Italy -- men just hanging around, talking, drinking coffee, playing cards.  We've never been sure how they have the time -- or where the women are -- but it always seems to be part of the local scene, wherever "local" is.

Tonight, we had happy hour and dinner on our terrace -- a suitable end to this fine day.