Venafro: Ancient History and Olive Culture

Venafro combines Roman history, historic buildings and the culture of the olive tree in its local history. The Museo archeologico nazionale di Venafro is located in the historic center, the amphitheater of the ancient city of Venafrum is just outside the town, while the Parco Regionale dell'Olivo di Venafro focuses on natural and cultural history. If you would like to combine museums, monuments and regional specialties on your trip to Italy, Venafro can be explored according to different interests.

Ancient and Historic Spaces

The Museo archeologico nazionale di Venafro is located in Venafro's historic center, in the 17th-century S. Chiara convent. Its exhibition documents the various forms of settlement in the area during Roman times through necropolises, public buildings, production facilities, the city's most important monuments, and aspects of private and public daily life. The sculptures on display include a 2nd-century AD statue of Venus from the Antonine period, which was found in 1958 during construction work on a house on Via Colonia Giulia.

Castello Pandone was built on an original Samnite wall. A Roman fortification was later added; around the 10th century, a Lombard quadrangular enclosure with several towers was created within the same complex. The visit includes a 14th-century staircase, the piano nobile, the so-called Ballatoio dei Cavalli da Corsa, a loggia with arcades, and a special garden. The interiors were decorated with depictions of horses from the stables of the count, who was known for his horses.

The amphitheater of the ancient city of Venafrum is also known as Verlascio and Verlasce. It was built in the 1st century AD just outside the city. Together with the Teatro Romano di Venafro, it is one of the most important monuments of the ancient city.

In the historic Palazzo De Utris near the town hall, the permanent exhibition „Winter Line“ featuring historical artifacts from the Second World War was officially opened on March 15, 2008, on the occasion of a memorial ceremony for the victims of March 15, 1944.

Olive Park and Regional Specialties

The Parco Regionale dell'Olivo di Venafro is the first protected area dedicated to the olive tree and is unique of its kind in the Mediterranean region. In Venafro's olive park, the Giardino degli Olivi patriarchi d'Italia is an attraction featuring equipped areas.

For groups of at least six people, a visit to the Parco Regionale dell'Olivo di Venafro can be combined with tastings of olive oil from Venafro and products made with this oil at the exhibition on Venafro's historic rural olive landscape in Palazzo Liberty. The tasting includes a short olive oil tasting course, bread with aureo olive oil from the ancient Licinia of Venafro, and the „Biscotto“ from Venafro.

For planning your day, you can consider the different sites separately: the museum in the historic center, the amphitheater just outside the city, and the olive park. When choosing your accommodation, you can take this focus into account, depending on whether you would like to give more space to ancient and historical topics or to olive culture and its culinary connections.

Additional Places for Your Trip Planning

Sesto Campano, Isernia, San Pietro Avellana, Frosolone, Filignano, Civitanova del Sannio, Castelpetroso and Incoronata

To the higher-level travel overview: Isernia.