San Martino Sannita between churches, Cucciano and rolling hills

San Martino Sannita brings together sacred art, historic buildings and wide-ranging rolling landscapes. The character of the town is especially evident at the Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo, in Cucciano and on the Colle dell'Angelo. These places lead from artistic interiors through established neighbourhoods to views over the Benevento plain.

Churches and historical landmarks

The Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo has a rectangular nave and a polygonal apse. Inside, the original marble altar is topped by a baldachin with a statue of Saint Martin on horseback. Admission to this church is free, making it a specific cultural point of interest in San Martino Sannita.

In Cucciano stands the Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli Pietro e Paolo, decorated with frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries. The Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli Pietro e Paolo di Cucciano is believed to date back to the 13th century. The cult of the Madonna del Rosario is also associated with this place: it can be reliably traced back to the year 1600. The Madonna del Rosario is celebrated in Cucciano on the first Sunday of every October.

In the historic centre of San Martino Sannita, the Palazzo Bosco Lucarelli preserves an ancient millstone and an oil mill. The Palazzo Baronale was built by Bartolomeo Lucarelli, a patrician from Aversa who moved there with his family at the end of the 16th century. The Palazzo Baronale also contains an ancient oil mill operated with millstones. Both buildings connect the history of the town with the processing of grain and olives, without requiring any modern use for this interpretation.

Cucciano and the landscape

Cucciano consists of seven groups of scattered houses located on hilltops or along the road. The village is considered the oldest and most characteristic in the municipality of San Martino Sannita and has Samnite origins. Its dispersed structure makes the settlement pattern itself an important part of the townscape.

From the built-up area of San Martino Sannita, the view extends to the Calore Valley and the Benevento plain. The Colle dell'Angelo offers extensive panoramic views across the Benevento plain. At Lentace, the green slopes of the Colle dell'Angelo run parallel to the valley of the Torrente Grande.

Hiking with clear parameters

The Le Surte hiking route from San Martino Sannita has an elevation gain of 300 metres, takes five hours and is rated difficulty E. On 16 March 2024, an organised CAI hike across the hills from Le Surte to Montefusco began in Piazza Roma in San Martino Sannita. The combination of elevation gain, duration and difficulty helps you realistically assess the time and physical demands of such a hike.

More destinations for orientation

More travel destinations for your own reference: Morcone, Torrecuso, Campoli del Monte Taburno, Baselice, Fontanavecchia, Buonalbergo, Cusano Mutri and Pesco Sannita.

To the overarching travel overview: Benevento.