“Let me start by thanking you for a wonderful tour and for inviting us into your home.  There is not one moment that we would have changed.  The people and places that you introduced us to were beyond anything that we imagined.  Carol, Richard and I have been raving about the trip you created for us.  Pontelandolfo, S. Agata dei Goti, Sepino and Terre di Conca were spectacular.  Because of you, the day with our family in San Giorgio was one of the highlights of the trip and something we will always treasure.  Thank you again for all that you did in sharing “your Italy” with us.”

Cerreto Sannita, as the name suggests, is located in the heart of the Sannio and was founded in the 10^th century. It was ruled first by the Lombards, then the Normans and finally by the feudal families of  Sanframondo and Carafa until the fateful day of June 5^th 1688 when the city was razed to the ground by a cataclysmic earthquake. It is estimated that 4000 people were killed, half of the entire population.

Mons. de Bellis, bishop of Telese wrote: “The entire city, every building, evry church and monastery - in less time then it takes to say a prayer - fell to the ground, destroying everything and leaving nowhere for the people to take shelter…only three tiny shacks belonging to a potter remained standing…if you were not there it would be impossible to believe.”

The Count of Cerreto and Duke of Maddaloni, Marzio Carafa, decided to rebuild the city a short distance away using a new and more rational concept. Instead of the houses cropping up willy-nilly around a dominant castle, Carafa - probably inspired by ancient Greek and Roman towns - had a grid plan drawn up by the Royal Engineer Gian Battista Manni. The town was rebuilt accordingly with two main streets lengthwise (decumani) allowing one-way traffic in each direction and a number of small streets (cardini) intersecting perpendicularly. The result was a unique and theartical setting, without walls or defenses and is one of the few remaining examples of pure18^th century urbanization.

Today Cerreto Sannita is a sleepy town of 5000 and is still famous for its traditional ceramics in powdery hues of yellow, blue and green with unusual baroque curly-cues. Of particular interest to nature-lovers is the lush countryside and the hike past the sanctuary of Maria Santissima delle Grazie and up to the rock formation known as the ‘leonessa’ which is visible from the surrounding countryside, which seems to watch over and protect this lovely valley.

May 18th is S. Pasquale Baylan, the patron saint of fertility, wealth and abundance. The citizens of Airola are particularly devoted to him as he is considered the protector of women… and animals(!)

Born in Spain in 1540 the saint’s surname, Baylon, means a person who likes dancing which is derived from the Spanish word bailar. The story narrates that a childless couple met a man who told them to take part in the dance rituals of Obando, Bulacan. When the husband and wife arrived at the church, they were stunned to find that the face of the man they had met was identical to the church’s image of St. Paschal.

The procession of Airola lasts three days. A group of seven collatori (from the verb accollare: to saddle or take upon one’s shoulders) carry the 18^th century statue of the saint on their shoulders. They are preceded by the town’s marching band and followed by barefoot men and women chanting hymns. They cover the entire town and its outskirts on foot, stopping in front of every household. Outside, a table is set with the finest hand-embroidered tablecloths. (Apartment dwellers hang their most beautiful crocheted and hand-made cloths from their balconies) The statue is then lowered so that the saint is almost at eye level. (In the past, this was done so that the worshippers could pin money to the statue, a practice now considered ‘pagan’ and prohibited by the Church) Then the collatori, with a single movement, launch the statue (130kg) above their heads and bring it back to rest on to their shoulders. This movement is repeated hundreds of times each day.

Back at the church of S. Pasquale, packages of incense and blessed bread are handed out to the farmers who will feed them to their animals as well as the townfolk who will give them  to their unwed daughters which is supposed to help in their search for a husband. At around 10,00 pm the statue is returned to the church where it is anxiously awaited by the townspeople and lavished with golden confetti before being put to rest for the night.

Two thousand three hundred years age, the Via Appia (or Appian Way)  was built to connect Rome with the city of Capua - now S. Maria Capua Vetere - (’vetere’= vecchio=old). The road started at Porta Capena, one of the rare cases where the gate bears the name of the place it was headed to - an indication of Capua’s wealth and strategic importance to the Roman Republic.

Due to its wealth Capua was also home to one of the most important gladiator schools, made famous by Spartacus, who excercised and fought here and from which he organized the slave rebellion of 73 B.C.  The current arena, second biggest after the Colosseum in Rome, was built in the 2nd century A.D. by the Emperor Hadrian.

Stairways and ramps run throughout what remains of the original tiers, similar to the Colosseum, while below the arena floor ie vast subterranean passages with vaulted ceilings and a network of tunnels 170 meters long and 140 meters wide. Here the scenery and props, gladiators and animals waited to be lifted by elevators into the arena… (literally “sand” in Latin, as in the sand which covered the floor of the fighting area).

The amphitheater is both spectacular and evocative, not only for its beauty and magnificence, but because there are so few visitors.  One can’t help but feel like an 18th century traveller, rediscovering long forgotten ruins under a warm, clear blue sky. Nowadays you can wander here for hours without seeing more than 4 or 5 people, a far cry from the 50,000 spectators that would regularly fill the amphitheater 2000 years ago.