Hilltop Medieval Village
High on a hilltop in the forested hills north of Caserta sits Vairano Patenora. A beautiful castle towering above the cascading city captures your eye as you arrive from a distance. This was another random village that we chose to walk around on a weekend since the ease of restrictions. Vairano Patenora has a long history dating back to the Samnites, who built forts here before the Roman conquest in 290 B.C!! Its medieval vibe spreads throughout the village and through the ruins of its castle grounds. We hardly saw 5 people the entire time. I said hello to an adorable Italian nonna outside her doorway and had a small conversation in Italian with a caffè barista about local wines. Little adventures are always the best adventures!
— Fontana delle Quattro Cannelle — Chiesa di San Bartolomeo — Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto — Castello d’Avalos —
History of Vairano Patenora:
“One of the first civilisations in the area was the Opici, followed by the Etruscans, the Samnites and the Sidicini. The Samnites built fortifications on the hilltops, the remains of which are still visible on the hills of Montano, Caievola and Monteforte. The territory came under Roman control in 290 B.C., and the ruins of an old Roman bridge can be seen in a place called Frattelle. Between the 6th and the 9th centuries A.D. Lombards invaded Vairano and built a fortress here, which was used to defend themselves against Saracen and other invasions. In the 11th century, the Normans subdued the Lombards, and in 1191 emperor Herny VI of Hohenstaufen gave the castle to Roffredo dell’Isola, the abbot of Montecassino. The fortress underwent several transformations and reconstructions during centuries: the most important was made by Innico II d’Avalos Cacciapuoti in the 16th century. In 1590, Vairano and nearby Marzanello were bought by Baron Mormile who turned the military fortress into a residential seat. Mormile owned Vairano until 1806. The historic meeting in 1860 between General Garibaldi and King Victor Emmanuel II, which led to the Italian Unification and the modern state of Italy, is said to have taken place in Vairano at Taverna della Catena.”
[Source: visitworldheritage.com>vairano-patenora]
Lindsay View All →
Our roots will forever be from here, America, born and raised. Yet, life requires us to move more frequently than we care to count. Whether living stateside or abroad, you can always find us traveling somewhere. We scout out places that you only think you can dream of one day seeing and we seek out those that aren’t found in guidebooks. We then bring them to life here in our travel memos, so hopefully, one day you too can visit them or at least be able to live vicariously through us. This blog isn’t just about crossing off places from a bucket list. It’s about absorbing and learning how other cultures grow and fit into the same world that we do. Life is short and the world is big. Enjoy and get out there!
American Roots. Traveling Boots. 