Solopaca: Architectural Heritage, Wine and Landscape
Accommodation in Solopaca
Solopaca combines architectural history, wine and landscape in clearly defined thematic areas. The Palazzo Ducale, Palazzo Cutillo and the Parrocchia di San Mauro Martire represent different historical periods; the Festa dell’Uva and the offerings of the Cantina di Solopaca add regional culinary culture. The Parco Regionale del Taburno-Camposauro is also part of the region’s character.
File:Solopaca, via Crucis montana, croce del Pizzo Alto.jpg
Photo: VallVit via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Historic Buildings and Sacred Art
The Palazzo Ducale was built between 1672 and 1682 by Duke Antonio Maria Ceva Grimaldi. Its original façade features geometric and floral motifs. Palazzo Cutillo was built in 1826 and is largely dedicated to the Museo Enogastronomico. Palazzo Cutillo also has a viewpoint overlooking the Calore Valley and Mount Taburno.
The Parrocchia di San Mauro Martire was completed in 1714 after construction began in 1682. It contains oil paintings by the painters Decio Frascadore and Lucantonio D’Onofrio, both from Solopaca, as well as valuable 18th-century stucco work.
The Ponte Maria Cristina was inaugurated on April 5, 1835, by Ferdinand II of Bourbon and Queen Maria Cristina of Savoy. The bridge preserves the ruins of one of Italy’s earliest examples of an iron suspension bridge.
Wine Tradition and Festa dell’Uva
The traditional cultivation area of Solopaca D.O.C. lies entirely within the municipality of Solopaca and covers 600 hectares. The Cantina di Solopaca offers cellar tours, walks through the rows of vines and wine tastings with typical regional products. A visit to the vineyard also includes a guided tasting of five wines from the Selezione ORO range, as well as a selection of typical regional products.
Since its first edition in 1977, the Festa dell’Uva has taken place every year on the second Sunday in September. It includes a parade with 11 artistically designed floats made from glued-on grapes. Along the parade route, food stalls offer local dishes such as Cavati, grilled sausages, stuffed peppers and Struscioli, as well as Solopaca wine.
Landscape around Taburno-Camposauro
The Santuario di Maria SS. del Roseto is located within the municipality of Solopaca on Monte delle Rose, inside the Parco Regionale del Taburno-Camposauro and at an elevation of 608 metres. In the wider regional area lies the Parco Regionale del Taburno-Camposauro, a protected natural area of Campania established in 1993.
The park covers 12,370 hectares on the Taburno-Camposauro massif in the province of Benevento. Various trails provide opportunities to explore traditions and history, complementing Solopaca’s cultural and historical themes with a landscape perspective.
Getting There and Choosing Your Accommodation
The road route to Solopaca is via the Caianello exit on the A1, followed by the road towards Benevento and then the Solopaca exit. From the railway stations in Benevento or Naples, Solopaca can be reached by regional train or bus. When choosing a hotel or other accommodation, you can tailor your trip around architecture and sacred art, wine and regional cuisine, the Festa dell’Uva, or nature and history in Taburno-Camposauro.
More Places for Planning Your Trip
More destinations for your planning: Santa Croce Del Sannio, Cusano Mutri, Amorosi, San Leucio del Sannio, Pontelandolfo, Pesco Sannita, Circello and Morcone.
To the main travel overview: Benevento.
