Cesa: Between Asprinio Wine and Sacred Culture

Cesa in the province of Caserta combines winegrowing, sacred art and a local history that has developed over centuries. Particularly characteristic are Asprinio wine and the Alberate, while churches, a multimedia museum and historic buildings reveal further cultural facets. For planning your trip, the town can therefore be explored through its culinary traditions as well as its religious heritage and local history.

Asprinio and the Landscape of the Alberate

The annual Asprinum Festival in Cesa in the province of Caserta celebrates Asprinio wine and the agricultural tradition of the Alberate Aversane. The wine is not the sole focus, but is closely linked to a distinctive form of cultivation and the farming culture of the area.

The Asprinum Festival's daytime programme includes masterclasses on Asprinio wine and tours of tuff caves. Asprinio cu' 'a percoca is also tasted at the event; it is a speciality regarded as a symbol of the local farming culture.

Asprinio is a dry, sparkling white wine produced according to a centuries-old tradition. The Alberata d'Asprinio – also known as Alberata Aversana or Vite Maritata al Pioppo – is a winegrowing system that has shaped the landscape between Naples and Caserta in the Aversan agricultural area for centuries.

In the Alberate Aversane, the Asprinio vines grow vertically and are intertwined with poplar trees. This creates green barriers up to 12 metres high. The iconic Alberate Cesane are also among the defining natural and agricultural features of the area around Cesa.

Churches, Museum and History

The Chiesa San Cesario Martire is one of the most important places of worship in Cesa and at the same time a historical and cultural reference point for the local community. The church contains sacred works of art, including statues, paintings and altars.

Another focal point is the Chiesa di Maria Santissima del Rosario. It is one of the most significant religious buildings in Cesa and is regarded as a symbol of popular devotion to the Virgin Mary. Its furnishings include paintings, statues and altars dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the mysteries of the Rosary.

Processions and celebrations in honour of the Madonna del Rosario are associated with the Chiesa di Maria Santissima del Rosario. In this way, religious art, devotion and community tradition come together closely in Cesa.

The Asprinum Museum Art is an initiative of the municipality of Cesa and is run in collaboration with the Pro Loco. As a distributed multimedia museum, it connects historic palaces, caves and Alberate that can be visited, conveying the history and traditions of the area with the help of new technologies.

Cesa's existence is documented by a diploma dating from AD 964. The town's historic buildings also include the Palazzo Marchesale, which dates from the early 15th century and has two towers.

Exploring Cesa by Interest

If you are interested in regional products and cultural landscapes shaped over time, the themes of Asprinio, the Alberate and farming tradition lead directly into Cesa's culinary and agricultural character. The festival combines these themes with masterclasses, a tasting and tours of tuff caves. Those who prefer sacred art and local history will find a different way of exploring the town around the two churches, the museum and the Palazzo Marchesale.

When choosing your accommodation, the main consideration is therefore the focus you want for your trip: Cesa can be understood through both its wine tradition and the Alberate and its religious art, historic buildings and the history of the area. This allows you to plan your trip around the topics you would like to explore further on site, without reducing the character of the town to just one attraction.

Further Places for Planning Your Trip

For further orientation, you can also explore Mondragone, Liberi, Prata sannita, Sant'Angelo d'Alife, Capodrise, Castello Del Matese, Macerata Campania and Rocca d'Evandro.

For the overview of the wider travel area: Caserta.