Benevento is a city of ancient origins and contains priceless artistic and cultural treasures that many may not yet know about. Here, then, is how best to enjoy this destination: let us start with the city centre. This elegant, orderly and mostly pedestrianised city centre offers the possibility of walking to all the most important monuments and sites without having to take a car or other means of transport. There are two focal points of Benevento that are definitely worth a visit: one is the church of Santa Sofia (a homage to the ancient church of the same name in Constantinople), now heavily remodelled but still retaining some traces of medieval frescoes and the beautiful cloister with its many different columns (look for the 'knotted' one!); the other famous attraction is the magnificent Roman Arch of Trajan, whose sculptural reliefs are still intact and clearly visible. Other Roman architecture is the Theatre and the Leproso bridge, which crosses the Sabato river and was one of the main routes to Brindisi and embarkation for the East. Moving away from the city centre, a stop at the Villa Comunale is a moment of peace that you will not want to miss; not far away is the Rocca dei Rettori, the 15th-century Benevento Castle. Then, if you look further afield, you will have access to a truly magical corner: the Hortus Conclusus, a small 'secret' and poetic garden in which there are installations by the contemporary artist Mimmo Paladino (including one of his famous horses) and where everything is in harmony with the surrounding nature and designed to conciliate meditation and inner calm. There is no shortage of museums in Benevento: one of the most unusual is certainly the Strega Museum, dedicated to the liqueur of the same name and located in the Alberti factory. Then there is the ARCOS contemporary art museum, the Sannio Museum, whose main venue is the Rocca dei rettori and the cloister of the church of Santa Sofia, and the Museo della Tecnica e del Lavoro in Agricoltura (MUSA) in the San Cumano district, which re-proposes the rooms of the peasant houses of the past and an exhibition of ancient agricultural machinery.

In Benevento, the dishes are simple and deeply rooted in local traditions and the territory. First courses not to be missed are those based on fresh handmade pasta (lagane, cicatelli and fusilli) dressed with meat sauce, lamb or legume-based sauce (in this case also enriched with pork rind). In the Sannio region, meat processing has a long and valued history and tradition that finds its greatest expression in liver roulades wrapped in lamb guts, roasted and seasoned with spices. Other typical dishes are fiavole, a puff pastry filled with eggs and cheese, stuffed peppers and porcini mushrooms. In addition, you must try Caciocavallo Silano and Sannio wines that will enhance every dish, such as Aglianico del Taburno, Solopaca DOC and Piedirosso. For dessert in Benevento, you should definitely try the world-famous Benevento nougat, the Strega chocolates (flavoured with the traditional Strega liqueur) or the torroncini from San Marco dei Cavoti, made with almonds, hazelnuts and honey and covered with a layer of dark chocolate.

In Benevento and especially in its surroundings, there is no shortage of appointments and events, and all are deeply linked to the traditions and nature of the Sannio region. One of the sweetest events is certainly the nougat and croccantino festival, held in December in nearby San Marco dei Cavoti; between October and November, the chestnut is the protagonist at the festivals of Vitulano and Arpaise, while in July in Ceppaloni there is the characteristic threshing festival that evokes the ancient procedures of this ancient practice in an atmosphere of festivity, joy and folklore; then in August, the traditional Sagra del Cinghiale (wild boar festival) is held in Dugenta. In September, precisely in Benevento, the famous Benevento Città Spettacolo festival has been organised for years, with cultural meetings, theatre performances, film screenings and concerts.