Benevento Things to Do

It may seem odd to find an Egyptian obelisk in Benevento, considering the fact that this is really a very minor tourist centre and definitely off the radar when it comes to archeological museums. Nevertheless, this is neither an imported monument nor a knock off: it is one of the most important pieces of Egyptian religious sculpture manufactured in the West. Between 88 and 89 CE the Roman emperor Domitianus had a temple erected for the Egyptian god Isis in Benevento. The obelisk, which is of red granite, was originally in Piazza del Duomo but, since 1872, has been placed in Piazza Papiniano. It is inscribed with heiroglyphics on its four sides and Greek and Latin translations at the base. The inscriptions are primarily of laudatory remarks about Domitianus, but also contain praise for Caesar and the god Isis.
In addition to this obelisk, a second, in chunks, was discovered along with various other objects in Egyptian and Greco-Roman Egyptian style (marbles, statues and sculptures). These other artefacts, discovered in 1903, are now in the Museo del Sannio.

The Rocca dei Rettori is the common name for the Castello of Benevento. Given the long history of the city, it is unsurprising that this site has an extensive past. It is located at the highest point in Benevento, from which it dominates the valleys formed by the rivers Sabato and Calore, as well as the via Appia and via Traiana. The Rocca wasn't always used as a defensive structure, although that is what it was built for by the Sannites. The Romans used it as a thermal bath and you can still see some of the Roman ruins in the gardens. In the Mediaeval times the Benedictines used it as a Monastery and it was during these Middle Ages that the Rocca got its name from the Rettori, the Papal guards. The large tower, or Torrione, was built by the Longobards in 871, while the Palace of the Governors was constructed by the popes from 1320 onward. Given the relative obscurity of Benevento on most tourists' maps, it is remarkably easy to tour the grounds and take pictures here without any form of disturbance from tour groups or obnoxious tourists (how we all like to think we don't fit into the latter grouping!).

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Founded in 1873, after a first placing of the collection in the 4th century building ,the Rocca dei Rettori (Rector’s fortress), the Sannio’s museum had a second monumental centre: the Saint Sofia’s Benedectine Abbey.
The Sanniti’s room houses important find of the Benevento’s longobard necropolis of the 7th century b.C., tools, necklaces, dresses and gold coins of the Longobard èra mint with dukes and princes images.
in the greek sculture room there are important testimony of the pre-roman culture in the ancient Sannio, that compare each other with those of greek and magno-greek of 5t and 4th century b.C. with greek sculpture or roman copies of greek statues.
Finds of a wide sannitical necropolis come from Caudium and include greek pottery and figures that go up since at the 9th century b.C.
The Iside’s room
Moreover a big testimony of the egyptian divinity worship with a large discovery of Egyptian sculpture more numerous for quantity and quality finding out of the Egypt. There are paintings of priests, sphinxes, hawks, divinity, obelisks, lions, architectural pieces and little statues of imperial personalities.
Moreover in the modern art department there are local’s artists works and objects of Neapolitan area since 16th to 20th century.
The museum is opened from Tuesday to Sunday from 9-13. Ticket is 2 euros.
[Egicom05 – by Campania Mia]

The epigraph documents that the theatre was built during the Adriano empire in 2nd century a.c.. Finished in the same century, the theatre was adorned and enlarged by Caracalla at the beginning of 3rd century. His capacity was of 20.000 guest. It is still used to host theatral shows and lyric opera. Other roman monuments in Benevento are the Leproso bridge, Valentino bridge and, above all, precious testimonies of Iside temple.

[Egicom05 – by Campania Mia]