Baths of the Area Archeologica Arco del Sacramento.
Baths of the Area Archeologica Arco del Sacramento.

Continued From Beneventum, Samnium – Part II

Just to the west of the cathedral, a little ways down Via Carlo Torre, is the Area Archeologica Arco del Sacramento. The archaeological remains in this park are those of a bathing complex, located in the vicinity of the forum of ancient Beneventum. Though impressive looking, the archaeological area is not presently accessible, despite the conspicuous presence of walkways appearing in good working order that would make allowing access pretty easy. Apparently an extensive improvement project was approved by the city in February 2024 that might result in the area eventually being opened to the public. Though again, there doesn’t seem to be anything really preventing access now than perhaps the persistent Italian issue of staffing. The complex can be seen from outside the archaeological area, with public streets bounding three sides of the archaeological area.  Some more remnants can be seen along Via Carlo Torre a bit farther to the south, bounding the large open area at the bottom of the modern staircase.

South on Via Carlo Torre adjacent to the intersection with Via Manfredi di Svevia is the Arco del Sacramento. The arch was constructed in the late 1st or early 2nd century CE, and served as a monumental southern entrance to the forum area of Beneventum. Originally the entire arch would have been faced in marble with reliefs, but almost all of that has been removed since antiquity. The brick core of the arch is now visible, supported on bases of opus quadratum and spanning the present day street of Via Carlo Torre.

Continuing south on Via Carlo Torre, across Via Manfredi di Svevia and about 160 meters on is the intersection with Via Port’Arsa. Turning west onto Via Port’Arsa it is another 130 meters to the next destination, the Roman theater, located on Piazza Ponszio Telesino. The theater is open daily from 9:00 to 19:20 in the summer (March 16 through October 31) and from 9:00 to 17:40 the rest of the year. Admission is 2 Euro.

Theater. Beneventum.
Theater.

The theater of Beneventum was originally constructed starting during the reign of Trajan, but according to a statue base dedicated to the emperor in honor of the event, it was inaugurated during the reign of Hadrian in 126 CE. It was constructed completely freestanding, without any usage of the topography of the area. Another inscription found at the theater reveals that it underwent a significant renovation, including the restoration of the entirety of the scenae frons and the adjacent halls, in 197-198 CE. The theater seems to have fallen out of use sometime in the 4th century CE, coinciding with the construction of new fortifications that left the theater outside the walls. Around this time through the medieval period, the theater was stripped of some materials and domestic structures were built on the site.  The theater is estimated to have held up to 15,000 spectators.

External facade of the theater.
External facade of the theater.

The archaeological area of the theater is pretty heavily restored. The lower cavea seem to be completely modern restoration and the ancient stage is covered with a modern stage; both measures to accommodate modern performances in the venue. The orchestra area looks like it might have some original pavement present. The upper cavea are almost completely gone and the upper galleries are one of the few areas of the theater that are completely inaccessible. The lower gallery around the rear of the theater is intact and accessible. On the exterior of the theater, some of the opus quadratum facing and faux columns that decorated the exterior façade are visible. Some marble revetment remains in the large hall on the north side of the scenae. Parts of inscriptions and reliefs (including theater masks like the one in the cathedral bell tower and Gorgon heads) as well as other decorative elements from the theater are on display around the grounds.

Ponte Leproso.
Ponte Leproso.

From the theater, one can continue walking west on Via Port’Arsa, through the 10th century Porta Arsa and continuing down on Via Appio Claudio and across the train tracks for a total of about half a kilometer. Right at the point Via Appio Claudio curves north is the Via Ponte Leproso heading south to, none other than the Ponte Leproso. This bridge seems to have originally been constructed sometime shortly after the original Roman colony was established at Beneventum in the mid-3rd century BCE. It carried the branch of the Via Appia from Capua over the Sabatus and into the city. According to partial inscriptions found reused in a later restoration of the bridge, it seems to have been restored in antiquity as well, sometime during the joint reigns of Valentinian I, Valens, and Gratian.

A number of other inscriptions are reused in later restorations of the bridge, but unfortunately none of these are really in an easily visible place, given the active river it is crossing. At this point it is quite a hodgepodge of different periods of construction, but the Roman origins are clearly visible in the large ashlar blocks in the pylons and other areas of the bridge. Though now six arches, the original Roman bridge is believed to have been just five arches, and the two closest to the city are generally considered to be the most complete of the oldest spans of the bridge. Part of the eastern parapet of the bridge is preserved in the wall of the adjacent building.

Though I wasn’t able to visit it due to a road closure, it is worth noting that there are the remains of a funerary monument that lined the Via Appia outside of Beneventum, a short walk across the bridge. After crossing the bridge and continuing about 175 meters south down Via Santa Clementina, the core of the funerary monument is visible on the east side of the road at the edge of a property.

Remains of the amphitheater.
Remains of the amphitheater.

Tracing back toward the theater, immediately after crossing back over the train tracks, the Via Appia Antica heads north. After about 125 meters, the road intersects with Via Munazio Planco. In the area southeast of this intersection are the remains of the amphitheater. There is no direct access and most of the perimeter is overgrown and it is difficult to see in. Just a few meters down Via Munazio Planco, though, there is sometimes a space that is not as overgrown and allows some sightlines into the remains of the amphitheater, which are also covered by a protective roofing. The first few meters of a small alley off of Via Munazio Planco can also sometimes offer some views from the east.

The amphitheater seems to have been constructed in either the late 1st century BCE or early 1st century CE, meaning it is likely the venue that would have hosted Nero when he stopped to take in the fights at Beneventum in 63 CE, according to Tacitus. It was more or less abandoned in the 4th century CE, when earthquakes apparently made it unusable. Like the nearby theater, it was quarried for building material. The amphitheater was discovered when a building was demolished in 1985, exposing the remains in this now vacant lot. What exists and has been excavated is just the northern tip of the amphitheater; the rest of it is theoretically under the surrounding roads, buildings, and train tracks. A sign posted on the fence illustrates the extent of the amphitheater.

Santi Quaranta cryptoporticus. Beneventum.
Santi Quaranta cryptoporticus.

 

A small, unnamed street runs parallel to the Via Appia Antica as it continues north from the intersection with Via Munazio Planco. About 30 meters down this street, it intersects with Via Ursus, a road that looks more like a dirt path than a road. Turning onto this, about 100 meters east/northeast down Via Ursus is small park area on the west side of the road. Along the back (north) wall of the park are the remains of the Santi Quaranta cryptoporticus. The cryptoporticus (thought the interpretation as a cryptoporticus isn’t unanimous) wasn’t particularly accessible (the area around it was quite overgrown), but it is easily visible. The dating and usage for this structure is somewhat unclear; interpretations on dating range from the late 1st century BCE to the early 3rd century CE. As for the use of the structure, theories range from some kind of storage area to something associated with a forum (secondary to the main forum that seems to be near the cathedral) or some sort of public center. It has even been postulated to have been associated with a temple, perhaps the elusive Isis temple.

Apis bull statue.
Apis bull statue.

A secondary corridor runs off the main corridor to the northeast, but this area was overgrown and not really visible. It is believed that there was a second level above this, which would be compatible with the identification as a cryptoporticus. Going back out to Via Ursus and walking a little farther uphill brings you to a platformed area where two arches may be visible (depending on overgrowth). The arches date to the Lombard period but make use of the existing Roman structure. This are also seems to have been where another corridor branched off the main corridor that ran northwest/southeast. Both these areas seem to be always accessible. Technically the lower part is fenced, but I don’t think it is ever actually closed.

Continuing up Via Ursus, it ends at Viale San Lorenzo. About 125 meters east on Viale San Lorenzo, on the northwest corner of the intersection with Torre della Catena, is a statue of an Apis Bull, the so-called Bue Apis. The red granite sculpture is typically dated to the 1st or 2nd century CE, but may be older. The bull seems to have come from the Iseum of Beneventum; two other marble and diorite statues of Apis Bulls are in the ArCoS collection. The statue sits on an inscribed base from the early modern period that reflects the original belief that it was a Roman rendering of a Samnite symbol. A sign with some information in English and Italian is posted nearby.

Spolia used in the Monumento a Manfredi di Svevia.
Spolia used in the Monumento a Manfredi di Svevia.

Crossing Via Torre della Catena and continuing down Corso Dante Alighieri, which then turns into Corso Garabaldi about 240 meters at PiazzaCard Bartolomeo Pacca are some ongoing excavations on the north side of the square. At least there were when I visited in 2023. How long these will be open or whether anything will come of them is not something I could find any information on. What I could see looked probably later than Roman, but some stuff was covered up as well. Not a hugely interesting stop, but worth mentioning nonetheless.

The road leading out of the intersection on the northeast side of the piazza is Via Nuova Calore, which then intersects with Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which in turn shortly leads across the Ponte Vanvitelli. At the north end of the bridge, on the east side of the street, is the Monumento a Manfredi di Svevia. Though not an ancient monument, it does incorporate some Roman era spolia, including part of a Roman funerary inscription. Continuing down the road (which turns into Viale Principe di Napoli) leads back to the train station.

Arco del Sacramento. Beneventum.
Arco del Sacramento.

Worth mentioning is there are the scant remains of a Roman bridge, the Ponte Fratto, on the far northwest side of the city. I couldn’t really find a way to it, as the area was quite overgrown. There also was allegedly an archaeological area in the vicinity called the Area Archeologica di Cellarulo, which was at one point visible on satellite maps. That, however, seems to have been covered over or completely overgrown in recent years.

A little outside of the city, but perhaps worth a short visit if you have access to private transportation and a few minutes, is the Ponte Romano detto Valentino. By car it’s about a 10 minute drive from the train station or the historic center of the city. The best view (and even that isn’t particularly great) is from the Contrada Ponte Valentino, which runs south of the bridge. But the bridge itself is accessible from the northeast side. The bridge originally seems to have been constructed in the 2nd century CE to carry the Via Traiana away from Beneventum over the Calor, but most of what is standing today dates much later. All the brick construction is medieval and only two of the limestone piers of the arches are from the Roman construction, making the name a little deceptive.

Lower corridor of the theater.
Lower corridor of the theater.

Beneventum is a site I’d really been wanting to work on since I first started this page, but I knew there was a lot I missed on my first visit in 2015 and needed to revisit before that was possible. The ancient remains of Beneventum are pretty easily done in a day; though it is a relatively packed day. The second time I visited, I think over two days (I had to break the visit up in order to accommodate the opening times of some other things I wanted to see in the area) I spent between 6-7 hours seeing everything. Pretty much everything is within a reasonable walking distance as well and nothing took terribly long to go between. Additionally, Benevento is nice and doesn’t seem particularly touristy, so there weren’t any crowds at the entranced sites and I was often by myself.

 

Sources:

Appian. Bella Civilia, 4.1.3.

Athenaeus. Deipnosophistae, 1.57.

Bragantini, Irene. “A Note on the Temple of Isis at Beneventum.” The Iseum Campense From The Roman Empire To The Modern Age. Rome: Edizioni Quasar di Severino Tognon, 2018.

Grant, Michael. A Guide to the Ancient World: A Dictionary of Classical Place Names.  New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997.

Livy. Ab Urbe Condita, 9.27, 22.13, 24.14-20, 25.13-17, 27.10.

Pagano, Mario. “Qualche Osservazione Sull’Urbanistica di Benevento.” Antiqva Beneventana, Benevento: La Provincia Sannita, 2013.

Pliny the Elder. Historia Naturalis, 3.16.4.

Plutarch. Pyrrhus, 25.

Prada, Luigi. “To Isis the Great, Lady of Benevento: Privately Dedicated Egyptian Obelisks in Imperial Rome and the Twin Obelisks of Benevento Reedited.” Egypt and the Classical World: Cross-Cultural Encounters in Antiquity, by Jeffrey Spier and Sara E. Cole. J. Paul Getty Museum, 2022.

Procopius. De Bellis, 7.6.1, 7.25.1.

Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. Walton & Murray, 1870.

Stillwell, Richard, William L. MacDonald, and Marian Holland. McAllister. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. Princeton, NJ: Princeton U Press, 1976.

Strabo. Geographika, 6.3.7.

Suetonius. De Illustribus Grammaticis, 9.

Tacitus. Annals, 15.34.

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