Holiday apartment in Venafro: Roman history and olive-growing culture

Venafro can be explored through several themes: Roman history, olive-growing culture and distinctive buildings. This makes for a varied programme without limiting Venafro to just one theme.

Roman traces and historic sites

In the historic centre of Venafro, the Museo archeologico nazionale di Venafro is housed in the seventeenth-century S. Chiara convent. Using evidence from necropolises, public buildings, production facilities, the city’s most important monuments, and aspects of private and public daily life, its exhibition documents the various forms of settlement in the area during Roman times.

The sculptures on display in the museum include a statue of Venus from the Antonine period in the 2nd century AD; it was discovered in 1958 during construction work on a house in Via Colonia Giulia. The amphitheatre of the ancient city of Venafrum is also known as Verlascio and Verlasce; it was built in the 1st century AD immediately outside the city. Together with it, the Teatro Romano di Venafro is one of the most important monuments of the ancient city.

The permanent exhibition „Winter line“ was officially opened on 15 March 2008 in the historic Palazzo De Utris near the town hall, on the occasion of a memorial ceremony for the victims of 15 March 1944, and contains historical artefacts relating to the Second World War. Castello Pandone also reflects several construction phases: it was built on an original Samnite wall, with a Roman fortification added later. Around the 10th century, a Lombard, square enclosure with several towers was created in the same complex.

A visit to Castello Pandone includes a 14th-century staircase, the piano nobile, the so-called Ballatoio dei Cavalli da Corsa, a loggia with arcades and a distinctive garden. The interiors were decorated with depictions of horses from the stables of the count, who was renowned for his horses.

Olive landscapes and regional flavours

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. The Giardino degli Olivi patriarchi d'Italia is designated as an attraction in Venafro’s olive park and has equipped areas.

For groups of at least six people, a visit to the park can be combined with tastings of olive oil from Venafro and products based on this oil at the exhibition on Venafro’s historic rural olive landscape in Palazzo Liberty. This includes a short course in olive oil tasting, bread with aureo olive oil from the ancient Licinia of Venafro, and the „Biscotto“ from Venafro. The minimum group size for olive oil tasting at Palazzo Liberty in Venafro is six people.

Further places for planning your trip: Filignano, Santa Maria del Molise, Pescolanciano, Rocchetta Alta, San Pietro Avellana, Pescopennataro, Incoronata and Castel del Giudice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Isernia.