Discover Castelpagano: History, Forests and Local Cuisine

Castelpagano combines historic landmarks, extensive forests and a distinctive regional cuisine. If you would like to combine culture and nature in a lesser-known Italian destination, you will find a variety of points of interest here to help plan your trip.

Historic Traces and Religious Buildings

The Palazzo Ducale was rebuilt in the 18th century, but dates back to the Aragonese period. Next to the Palazzo Ducale stands the Colonna Infame, made of limestone, which was once used for flogging offenders. The dates and times of events at the Palazzo Ducale are announced separately on each occasion.

SS. Salvatore also offers a link to Castelpagano’s history. A date found on one of the steps of the main altar documents a restoration carried out in 1579. SS. Salvatore is the mother church of Castelpagano’s religious community and is considered one of the oldest Christian religious buildings in Castelpagano. The Chiesa del Sacro Cuore di Gesù is also one of Castelpagano’s historic landmarks.

The Forest Landscape Around Castelpagano

The Bosco di Castelpagano e Torrente Tammarecchia area is designated as a Site of Community Importance, SIC-IT8020014, and also includes Castelpagano. The abbreviation SIC stands for a Site of Community Importance; IT8020014 is the identifier of this designated area. The Bosco di Castelpagano lies entirely within the municipality of Castelpagano and is situated at an average elevation of 700 metres above sea level.

The municipal area includes around 1,000 hectares of woodland. The forests around Castelpagano’s town centre include oaks, Turkey oaks, beech trees and conifers. Wild boar and individual wolves can be found in the municipal forest.

Hiking Trails and Rural History

The Via dei Briganti is a hiking trail that runs through the untouched forests in the Castelpagano area. The surrounding countryside also still contains traces of the ancient Regio Tratturo, a transhumance route between Apulia and Abruzzo. Transhumance refers to the movement of livestock between different grazing areas.

Another specific connection to the landscape is the Mulino ad acqua Zi Ricuccio watermill. It stands beside one of the streams of the Tammarecchia, which flow into the Tammaro, and was restored to its original structure through renovation work.

Regional Cuisine and Local Tradition

Castelpagano’s well-known local foods include white beans, favette and lentils. White beans, favette and lentils belong to the legume family and are also part of Castelpagano’s regional cuisine. The Sagra del Fungo Porcino began in 1997; its programme includes a traditional menu based on porcini mushrooms. Castelpagano may therefore be particularly interesting for you if regional produce and local food culture are just as important to you as historic sites and trails through the landscape.

Further places for orientation: Limatola, Apice Vecchio, Amorosi, Montesarchio, Pannarano, Paolisi, Ponte and Circello.

For the higher-level travel overview: Benevento.